Airport in Belgrade - From 1910 until today

The story of Belgrade "Nikola Tesla" Airport starts as far as in 1910 when flying field in Banjica was the first Belgrade airport. Since then until now, it kept changing location, growing and developing. It is only the name that remained unchanged — Belgrade Airport, until 2006 when he was given new name - Belgrade "Nikola Tesla" Airport and as of midst of June 2010 it was given a new status - public limited company.

Banjica (1910)

The first flying field in Belgrade appeared by the end of 1910 at military drill field in the suburb called Banjica. Here is where flying was demonstrated by aviation pioneers: Simon, Maslenikov, Vidmar and Chermak.

At the beginning of 1912 the first wooden hangar was built at Banjica for aircraft intended for the war with Turkey. Two years later Serbian Aeroplane Squadron and Balloon Company were stationed there.

Banjica airport was used also after the World War I for requirements of mail traffic on route Skopje-Nis-Belgrade-Novi Sad and Belgrade-Sarajevo-Mostar.

Near to the place this airport was located today stands Military Medical Academy (VMA).

Kalemegdan - Lower City (1911)

This airport was located in direction from Turkish hamam (Planetarium today) towards river mouth where Sava meets Danube. From this place the first aircraft took off in January 1911.

Recently this area has been used for parachute jumping and sky-paragliders.

Today there are regular aero-meetings at this place of sports and ultralight aviation.

Pancevo (1923)

Airport near Pancevo started to operate in 1923, when airline "Franko-Rumen" introduced international line Paris - Constantinopolis. The same year, mail traffic started also from this airport.

Airport was also used for training of cadets of Air Force Academy of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. After liberation, Pancevo airport was used as “aviation-military training air field”".

At the location of the old Pancevo airport there are plants of UTVA aircraft industry today, as well as grass runway used for test, sports and simulation flights.

International Belgrade Airport (1927)

International Belgrade Airport is built on a meadow called "Dojno polje" between Bezanijska kosa and the left bank of Sava River, about two kilometers south from Zemun. The airport opened for traffic in March 1927.

Starting with February 1928, aircraft of the first domestic airline "Aeroput" take off from this airport.

The airport disposed of four grass runways. In 1931 a modern terminal building was built on it, with equipment for landing at low visibility.

During the World War II it was used by Germans. They destructed it in 1944 when withdrawing from Belgrade.

Belgrade Surcin (1962)

Area near Surcin, 18 kilometers westward from Belgrade is selected for the location of the new international airport.

The airport was opened for traffic in 1962 with one runway 3000 m long, taxiway 3350 m long, passenger terminal building, control tower, large apron for handling of aircraft and other contemporary equipment.

Later on a new passenger terminal has been built, apron extended, runway prolonged and in 1997 equipment for CAT II built in, enabling use of airport at low visibility conditions.

In July 2005 six contemporary telescopic passenger boarding bridges were put into operation, in May 2006 reconstructed international Terminal 2 put into operation and since November 2008 Belgrade "Nikola Tesla" Airport can be used in full capacity in conditions of extremely low visibility due to ILS CAT IIIb equipment and procedures which was for the first time in history of Belgrade Airport used on January 4, 2009.

Belgrade "Nikola Tesla" Airport accommodates technical maintenance company Jat Technics Ltd and technical maintenance of Aviogenex, operational departments of Air Traffic Control and Customs Authority, Air Museum, Jat Airways and SMATSA Training Centers, Helicopter Unit of the Ministry of Interior, etc.

A.D. Aerodrom Nikola Tesla Beograd

JAT Tehnika d.o.o. Beograd

Muzej vazduhoplovstva Beograd

Kontrola letenja Srbije i Crne Gore SMATSA d.o.o. Beograd

Air Serbia ad Beograd

Uprava Carina Beograd

Aviogenex d.o.o. Beograd

Belgrade Airport

history of Belgrade airport

first airport in Belgrade

Banjica

pioneers of aviation

Simon

Rudolf Simon

Boris Maslennikov

Vidmar

Gianni Ivan Vidmar

Ivan Vidmar

Cermak

Jan Cermak

Banjica airport

Kalemegdan

Lower City

Sava

Danube

Airport Pancevo

Franko Rumen

Paris

Istanbul

Aviation Academy

Utva airplane plant

International Belgrade Airport

Dojno polje

Bezanijska kosa

Aeroput