Exactly 10 years ago aircraft Tu-204 made first scheduled passenger flight

Exactly ten years ago, 23 February 1996, the jet aircraft Tu-204 left from the airport Vnukovo for the first regular scheduled passenger flight.

As the representative of airport reported, in the development design office of Tupolev they started to work out over the new passenger liner in the beginning of the 70`s. "Medium-haul aircraft Tu-204 was planned as the base construction for the entire family of aircraft with the wide variation of the modifications of different designation" noted the representative of Vnukovo.

Since March 1993 the aircraft Tu-204 underwent tests in the airport Vnukovo with the participation of ground-based and flying personnel of airline "Vnukovo air lines".

New flying and technical crews were prepared for this in short periods.

During the tests, accomplishing flights along the fixed routes, the aircraft actively carried out different cargo transportation. Later there was conducted a series of the technical flights with the workers of the development design office of Tupolev and the journalists aboard.

Tu-204 exceeds the previous models according to the technical flight characteristics, it possesses the high degree of reliability and flight safety under the conditions of intensive operation, and it is characterized by the increased comfort for the passengers, by the low level of noise, by fuel and operational efficiency.

Meanwhile developments and mastery of new technology on the base Tu-204 continue today. In 2005 Russian number of passenger airliners was supplemented by the new modification of this aircraft - model Tu-300.

The first four of air vessel of this modification entered into the park of airline "Vladivostok Avia" carrying out voyages into the airport Vnukovo. Its first scheduled passenger flight Tu-300 completed on 27 June, 2005, along the route Vladivostok - Moscow (Vnukovo).

Tu-240-300 became the first modern domestic two-engined passenger aircraft, capable to accomplish prolonged flights without the intermediate landings for the refueling.

This year the airport Vnukovo celebrates its 65th anniversary.

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regions: Central region