Tu-154M | 1991

Airline - Moscavia
Aircraft - Tupolev Tu-154M | RA-85640
Delivered to Sovnaravia, 1988
'Sold' to Moscavia, 1991
Stored at Domodedovo International Airport, 2008
Scrapped at Domodedovo International Airport, 2014
Livery - Standard 1991
Country - Russian Federation

Starting in 1991, the Tu-154M shown - along with the other 43 Tu-154s in the fleet - began flying from Domodedovo airport in Moscow to a number of domestic and then international destinations. Oleg Baghdassarian's goal, however, was a much greater international expansion, and he wanted to beat Russian International Airlines at their own game, turning his start-up carrier into a regional and global powerhouse. The first milestone of this plan was western Europe, and the exact aircraft shown here, RA-85640 - operated Moscavia flight 3100 to Brussels on May 1st, 1992, accomplishing that goal. Five days later, operations to Geneva, Berlin, and London Gatwick began as well, and by the end of the year Moscavia's list of destinations in western Europe included London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Rome, Milan, Berlin, Frankfurt, and Vienna. The next year, rapid international expansion continued, and cities like Manchester, Copenhagen, Zurich, and more were added.