Alrosa Airlines (6R) operated the last commercial flight with a Tupolev TU-154 aircraft (video)
The last Tupolev TU-154 aircraft, an exceptional model in Soviet aviation, made its last commercial passenger flight on October 28th. This flight marked the end of more than 48 years of history for the TU-154.
The aircraft registered RA-85757 performed the last commercial flight with 141 passengers on board. The plane took off from the snowy runway of Yakutia's Mirny Airport (MJZ) and landed three hours later at Novosibirsk-Tolmachevo Airport (OVB) in Western Siberia.
48 years of history in commercial and military aviation
The aircraft will remain stored at Tolmachevo airport until its fate is decided. Tupolev TU-154M RA-85757 Alrosa operated 737 flights from 2002 until its withdrawal from commercial service. It carried over 160 thousand passengers, over 1.2 tons of cargo and more than 50 tons of correspondence.
TU-154 was designed and developed by the Russian company Tupolev. In the early 1960s, as the Hawker-Siddeley Trident and Boeing 727 entered the market, the Soviet Union decided to develop its own passenger aircraft, using the design of three-engine aircraft.
Thus, on October 4, 1968, the TU-154 took off for the first time. It did not impress with its size, but it was designed with enough comfort to attract Western passengers.
You-154 on the last flight
The first commercial passenger flight, operated by a Tu-154 aircraft, took place on February 7, 1972, under the colors Aeroflot. The aircraft was distributed to serve European capitals such as London, Berlin or Paris.
In parallel, he began his career as a military aircraft. The Tu-154B was used to transport officers, and the Tu-154S was used as a cargo ship for the Soviet Navy.
Tupolev Tu-154M competed with the Airbus A300
Ten years later, an updated version called Tu-154M. Bigger, faster and with more autonomy, which competed with the new Airbus A300. The new variant was a commercial success for Tupolev, reaching the fleets of several airlines from Eastern European countries.
The Tu-154 continued to operate after the fall of the Soviet Union, both as a civilian aircraft and as a military aircraft.
In its 48-year history, TU-154 a was involved in two major tragedies. On April 10, 2010, a Tupolev Tu-154M of the Polish Air Force crashed, killing Polish President Lech Kaczyński along with other important officials. On December 25, 2016, 60 members of the famous Red Army choir died following the crash of a Tupolev 154B-2, which belonged to the Russian Ministry of Defense.