JUSTA

JUSTA, standing for Jugoslovensko-sovjetsko akcionarsko društvo za civilno vazduhoplovstvo, Југословенско-совјетско акционарско друштво за цивилно ваздухопловство, "Yugoslav-Soviet Joint Stock Company for Civil Aviation", was a joint Yugoslav-Soviet society intended for the civil air traffic. It was organized in the period of the close ideological friendship between the Yugoslavia and Soviet Union after World War II. JUSTA existed for two years, and provided domestic and international airline service. The first flights were held in summer of 1947, and after the Tito-Stalin split it ceased operations in early 1949.[1]

JUSTA
IATA ICAO Callsign
JUSTA
Founded1946
Commenced operations1946
Ceased operations1949
HubsSarajevo International Airport
HeadquartersSarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

It was one of the Yugoslav Soviet mixed companies created just after World War II.[2] JUSTA used the Butmir airfield in Sarajevo as a hub, and established routes linking the city with Belgrade and Zagreb.[3][4] Founded with the right to take over the most important international and domestic routes from JAT, as the agreement between Yugoslavia and the USSR entitled it to do, JUSTA also took complete control over Yugoslav civilian airports, however it operated a much smaller amount of flights than the agreement originally entitled it to during 1948 as it had only four passenger and two freight airplanes and it didn't have enough aircraft in its fleet to make these flights happen. While JAT flew 26,423 passengers and 89.5 metric tons of cargo during 1947, JUSTA flew only 6,294 passengers and 77 tons of freight in the same year. Conversely, the situation changed completely in 1948; JUSTA flew 14,117 passengers whilst JAT flew only 13,612, a decrease of almost 100% from the previous year and one of the worst examples of how politics often went ahead of business strategy in the former Yugoslavia.[5] After the Tito-Stalin split, JUSTA was forced to formally cease operations on April 1. JAT benefited greatly from this event, as it now could regain its former position in the market and further expand as it got an influx of flight crews and mechanics from JUSTA further strengthening operations.[5]

JUSTA served as a Soviet intent to take over traffic control over Yugoslav airspace and confine the fledgling Yugoslav airline JAT to a few lesser domestic routes.[6] JUSTA was operating just over a year when the Yugoslav government, because of the conflict with the USSR, made a decision to back JAT and JUSTA ended up losing in this conflict.[7] JUSTA was liquidated in 1948.[8]

JUSTA operated 10 Lisunov Li-2P and 2 Lisunov Li-2T aircraft, having had two accidents, one with 23 fatalities near Rumija in Montenegro, and another with no fatalities in Bari, Italy.[9]

Accidents and incidents
27 November 1947
Flight 247, a Lisunov Li-2P (YU-BAD), struck a mountain near Rumija, Montenegro in a freak snowstorm, killing all 23 on board; one report listed the death toll at 22.[10]

References
  1. The Mixed Yugoslav-Soviet Societies The Case Of JUSTA at Central and Eastern European Online Library, retrieved 18-5-2018
  2. Tito´s Communism by Josef Korbel, page 260
  3. Air Carriers in Bosnia at airbosna.ba, retrieved 17-5-2018
  4. Aeroput, the First Airline that Landed in Sarajevo at sarajevotimes.com, 21-4-2014, retrieved 17-5-2018
  5. JAT glory days by Vladimir Trifunovic
  6. Yugoslavia as History: Twice There Was a Country by John R. Lampe, page 246
  7. Short historical overwiev at sarajevo-airport.ba
  8. "World Airlines Directory". Flight International. 28 May 1988. p. 33.
  9. JUSTA at aviation-safety.net
  10. Accident description for YU-BAD at the Aviation Safety Network
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