Aviotransport Macedonia (Meta) Tupolev Tu-154
Following the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991, the newly independent Republic of Macedonia was left landlocked, with wars raging to its north in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, and Kosovo. Many Macedonians had taken jobs as guest workers in Germany, and were now cut off from direct road and rail links due to war. Into this vaccuum stepped almost a dozen startups to provide service between Skopje and the outside world. These startups relied on either aircraft leased from Russia or former JAT (Yugoslavia’s flag carrier) airliners.
One of these startups was Meta Aviotransport Macedonia, also simply known as Meta. Meta operated several leased Tupolev Tu-154s, and unlike other small Macedonian airlines, seemed to be planning for the long haul, opting for a colorful livery. This proved to be short-lived, however: as the United Nations embargo on the import of aircraft was dropped for Macedonia in 1994, Meta was now able to obtain Western equipment, which would allow it to retire the older, noisy former Soviet types. Meta was rebranded as MAT Macedonian Airlines in 1994, which itself went bankrupt in 2009.
This aircraft, RA-85745, was withdrawn from service after Meta switched over to Western equipment, and was last known to be in storage at Moscow-Vnukovo airport.
Aviotransport Macedonia (Meta) Tupolev Tu-154
Following the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991, the newly independent Republic of Macedonia was left landlocked, with wars raging to its north in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, and Kosovo. Many Macedonians had taken jobs as guest workers in Germany, and were now cut off from direct road and rail links due to war. Into this vaccuum stepped almost a dozen startups to provide service between Skopje and the outside world. These startups relied on either aircraft leased from Russia or former JAT (Yugoslavia’s flag carrier) airliners.
One of these startups was Meta Aviotransport Macedonia, also simply known as Meta. Meta operated several leased Tupolev Tu-154s, and unlike other small Macedonian airlines, seemed to be planning for the long haul, opting for a colorful livery. This proved to be short-lived, however: as the United Nations embargo on the import of aircraft was dropped for Macedonia in 1994, Meta was now able to obtain Western equipment, which would allow it to retire the older, noisy former Soviet types. Meta was rebranded as MAT Macedonian Airlines in 1994, which itself went bankrupt in 2009.
This aircraft, RA-85745, was withdrawn from service after Meta switched over to Western equipment, and was last known to be in storage at Moscow-Vnukovo airport.