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With a cruising speed of 975 km/h, the Tu-154 is one of the fastest civilian aircraft in operation and has a range of 5280 kilometers. Capable of departing and arriving on unpaved and gravel airfields, it often operates in the extreme Arctic conditions of Russia's northern territories where airports can be very basic. With a service life of 45,000 hours (18,000 cycles), but capable of 80,000 hours with upgrades, the aircraft is expected to continue in operation until 2016, although noise restrictions have seen services to western Europe and other areas restricted in recent years. In January 2010, Russian national carrier Aeroflot announced the retirement of its Tu-154 fleet after almost 40 years of service (pre-production deliveries began in 1970), with the last flight operated by Aeroflot Flight 736 from Ekaterinburg to Moscow on 31 December 2009. Since 1968 there have been about 37 fatal accidents involving the Tu-154 (including a Polish presidential aircraft), most of which were caused by factors unrelated to the aircraft itself. This number is not considered unusual given the number of planes built, years in service, technical specification, and their heavy use in demanding conditions. |
