Interior Ministry's Tupolev Aircraft Makes Its Final Flight

Bratislava, September 27 (TASR) – The Tupolev Tu-154M aircraft of the Interior Ministry on Wednesday made its very last flight to the city of Kosice where it will join the exhibition at the city’s Air Museum, TASR learnt on the same day.

This aircraft is a real legend, stated Interior Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD) at a farewell ceremony earlier in the day. “It formed part of Interior Ministry’s air unit since the establishment of the Slovak Republic [1993], and before that it was in the service of the [Czechoslovak] federal fleet since 1989,” said Kalinak, noting that the aircraft has been the last flying plane of this type in Europe.

Furthermore, Kalinak on this occasion decorated aircraft crew featuring pilots Viliam Polniser and Jozef Belak, and deck engineer Frantisek Rajnoh with Order I Class Commemorative Medal of the Interior Minister.

The Government Tu-154M aircraft flew 5,200 hours and transported 148,000 passengers. Pope John Paul II as well as Norway’s king were among the passengers. Its most frequent destination was Brussels.