Tupolev Tu-134

{{Short description|Soviet short-range airliner}} {{moresources|date=February 2026}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}} {{Use American English|date=December 2022}} {{Infobox aircraft |name = Tupolev Tu-134 |image = File:Tretyakovo Tupolev Tu-134.jpg |caption = A Tretyakovo Air Transport Tu-134 at Domodedovo International Airport |type = Airliner |national_origin = Soviet Union |manufacturer = |design_group = Tupolev |builder= Kharkiv State Aircraft Manufacturing Company |first_flight = 29 July 1963 |introduction = 9 September 1967 <ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20200727034641/http://aeroflotarchives.com/tupolev-tu-134.html Article title]}} Cites first revenue flight, Accessed 15 April 2019</ref> |retired = |status = In limited use |primary_user = Aeroflot (historical) |more_users = Soviet Air Force (historical)<br />Air Koryo<br />ALROSA (historical) |produced = 1966–1989<ref name="russianplanes.net"/> |number_built = 854 (852 + 2 prototypes)<ref name="russianplanes.net">{{cite web|url=http://russianplanes.net/planelist/Tupolev/Tu-134|script-title=ru:Ту-134|language=ru|work=russianplanes.net|access-date=2 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904091433/http://russianplanes.net/planelist/Tupolev/Tu-134|archive-date=4 September 2015|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> |developed_from = Tupolev Tu-124 |variants = }}

The '''Tupolev Tu-134''' (NATO reporting name: '''Crusty''') is a twin-engined, narrow-body jet airliner built in the Soviet Union for short and medium-haul routes from 1966 to 1989. The original version featured a glazed-nose design and, like certain other Russian airliners (including its sister model, the Tu-154), it can operate from unpaved airfields.

One of the most widely used aircraft in former Comecon countries, the number in active service is decreasing because of operational safety concerns and noise restrictions. The model has seen long-term service with some 42 countries, with some European airlines having scheduled as many as 12 daily takeoffs and landings per plane. In addition to regular passenger service, it has also been used in various air force, army and navy support roles; for pilot and navigator training; and for aviation research and test projects. In recent years, a number of Tu-134s have been converted for use as VIP transports and business jets. A total of 854 Tu-134s were built of all versions (including test bed examples) with Aeroflot as the largest user by 1995, the Tu-134 had carried 360 million passengers for that airline.

== Design and development == thumb|Tu-134UBL cockpit Following the introduction of engines mounted on pylons on the rear fuselage by the French Sud Aviation Caravelle, airliner manufacturers around the world rushed to adopt the new layout. Its advantages included clean wing airflow without disruption by nacelles or pylons and decreased cabin noise. At the same time, placing heavy engines that far back created challenges with the location of the centre of gravity in relation to the centre of lift, which was at the wings. To make room for the engines, the tailplanes had to be relocated to the tail fin, which had to be stronger and therefore heavier, further compounding the tail-heavy arrangement.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-03-08 |title=T134 |url=https://skybrary.aero/aircraft/t134 |access-date=2022-05-06 |website=SKYbrary Aviation Safety |language=en |archive-date=6 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220506031533/https://skybrary.aero/aircraft/t134 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[File:Aeroflot-Nord Tupolev Tu-134 nose view Mishin.jpg|thumb|upright|Looking through the nose of an Aeroflot-Nord Tu-134 (2009)]]

== Operational history ==

In September 1967, the Tu-134 made its first scheduled flight from Moscow to Adler. The Tu-134 was the first Soviet airliner to receive international certification from the International Civil Aviation Organization, which permitted it to be used on international routes. Due to this certification, Aeroflot used most of its Tu-134s on international routes. In 1968, the first export customers, Interflug of East Germany, LOT Polish Airlines and Malév Hungarian Airlines purchased the Tu-134. In 1969, the Tu-134 was displayed at the Paris Air Show.

From 1972, Aeroflot began placing the Tu-134 in domestic service to Baku, Yerevan, Kyiv, Kishinev, Krasnodar, Leningrad, Omsk, Riga, and Sochi from Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow.

In its early years, the Tu-134 developed a reputation for reliability and efficiency, especially when compared with previous Soviet designs. After the establishment of tougher noise standards in the ICAO regulations in 2002, the Tu-134 was banned from most western European airports for its high noise levels. In early 2006, 245 Tu-134s were still in operation, 162 of which were in Russia. After a fatal accident in March 2007, and at the instigation of Russian Minister of Transportation Igor Levitin, Aeroflot announced that it would be retiring its fleet, and the last Tu-134 was removed from service on 1 January 2008. Some were still in operations with Aeroflot subsidiaries on local routes within Russia. The Tu-134 also found a new life as a business jet with many having an expensive business interior installed. High fuel and maintenance costs are increasingly limiting the number used today.

In June 2011, as a response to RusAir Flight 9605 which resulted in 47 fatalities, Russian president Dmitry Medvedev ordered preparations for taking the Tu-134 out of use by 2012.

On 22 May 2019, the final passenger flight of the Tu-134 in Russia took place.<ref>{{cite news |script-title=ru:Ту-134 отправился в заключительный пассажирский рейс в России |trans-title=Tu-134 went to the final passenger flight in Russia |url=https://tass.ru/ekonomika/6456661 |access-date=26 May 2019 |date=22 May 2019 |language=ru |archive-date=26 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526190401/https://tass.ru/ekonomika/6456661 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Many Tu-134s have been preserved as memorials at airports throughout the former Soviet Union. A former Malév Tu-134A (registration HA-LBE) is on display at the Aeropark at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aeropark.hu/|title=Aeropark Budapest Repülőmúzeum|website=aeropark.hu|access-date=21 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327194000/https://aeropark.hu/|archive-date=27 March 2019|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> in Hungary.

== Variants == {{Unreferenced section|date=January 2021}} ;Tu-124A :The prototype Tu-134 (CCCP-45075) retained this slightly confusing designation. All subsequent aircraft are identified as Tu-134. ;Tu-134 :The glass-nosed version. The first series could seat up to 64 passengers, and this was later increased to 72 passengers. thumb|CCCP-45075 Tupolev Tu-124A (Tu-134 Prototype) – badly preserved at Moscow-Novogireyevo thumb|Tupolev Tu-134A with its radar and glass nose thumb|Tu-134UBL "Volga" from 1449th Airbase in Tambov city ;Tu-134A :Second series, with upgraded engines, improved avionics, seating up to 84 passengers. All Tu-134A variants have been built with the distinctive glass nose and chin radar dome, but some were modified to the B standard with the radar moved to the nose radome. ;Tu-134A-2 :The glass nose was replaced. ;Tu-134A-3 :Second series, powered by two updated Soloviev D-30 turbofan engines. ;Tu-134A-5 :Most recent version. :'''Tu-134AK''' :Operated by the Russian Air Force<ref name=":0" /> and Roscosmos.<ref name=":1" /> ;Tu-134B :Second series, 80 seats, radar moved to the nose radome, eliminating the glazed nose. Some Tu-134B models have long-range fuel tanks fitted under the fuselage; these are visible as a sizable bulge. ;Tu-134BV :Space shuttle work model. ;Tu-134LK :Cosmonaut training version. [[File:Hungarian Govt Tupolev Tu-134 1978 Sipila.jpg|thumb|Tu-134A of the Hungarian People's Republic at Helsinki Vantaa Airport in 1978.]] ;Tu-134M :Projected modernized version of Tu-134B, powered by Progress D-436T1-134 engines. ;Tu-134S :Projected cargo version based on Tu-134A. ;Tu-134UBL :Tu-160 crew training version, with Tu-160 nose cone. ;Tu-134UBK :Naval version of Tu-134UBL. Only one was ever built. ;Tu-134BSh :Tu-22M crew trainer, fitted with a Tu-22M radar in the nose. ;Tu-134Sh-1 :Crew trainer with bomb racks for heavy bomber crews ;Tu-134Sh-2 :navigator trainer for tactical bomber crews ;Tu-134SKh :Crop survey version.

==Current operators== As of 2024, only a few Tupolev Tu-134s remain in civil passenger airline service worldwide:<ref>{{Cite web |title=✈ russianplanes.net ✈ наша авиация |trans-title=Tu-134 Registry |url=https://russianplanes.net/planelist/Tupolev/Tu-134 |access-date=28 December 2022 |website=russianplanes.net |language=ru |archive-date=28 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221228183342/https://russianplanes.net/planelist/Tupolev/Tu-134 |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{SYR}} * Syrian Air Force {{UKR}} * Ukrainian Air Force - 15th Transport Aviation Brigade ''"Aircraft Designer Oleg Antonov"'' located at Boryspil International Airport * Ukrainian Air Guard - 2 aircraft in service<ref>{{cite book |last1=International Institute for Strategic Studies |title=The Military Balance 2023 |date=15 February 2023 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1032508955 |page=204 |edition=1st |author1-link=International Institute for Strategic Studies}}</ref> {{RUS}} * Federal Space Agency of the Russian Federation<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Flightradar24 |title=Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Map |url=https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/rf-65151 |access-date=2025-02-21 |website=Flightradar24 |language=en}}</ref> * Russian Air Force<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Flightradar24 |title=Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Map |url=https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ra-65690 |access-date=2025-02-21 |website=Flightradar24 |language=en}}</ref>

{{flag country|PRK}} * Air Koryo operates 2 aircraft. They are the last commercial airline to operate the Tupolev 134.

==Former operators== {{More citations needed section|date=December 2024}} The following airlines, states and other entities at one point operated at least one Tu-134 aircraft:

=== Former civil operators === {{Columns-list|colwidth=30em| ;{{URS}}/{{RUS}} * Aeroflot * Polet Flight * Yamal Airlines<ref>{{cite web|title=Ямал АТК - карточка оператора|url=https://russianplanes.net/airline/108}}</ref> ;{{flagicon|Afghanistan}} Afghanistan * Ariana Afghan Airlines ;{{flagicon|Albania}} Albania * Albanian Airlines<ref name="fi02p54">{{Harvnb|Kingsley-Jones|2002|p=54}}</ref> * Albtransport Airlines ;{{flagicon|Azerbaijan}} Azerbaijan * Azerbaijan Airlines ;{{BGR}} * Balkan Bulgarian Airlines ;{{CSK}} * CSA Czech Airlines ;{{EST}} * Estonian Air * ELK Airways ;{{GEO}} * Georgian International Airlines * Transair Georgia ;{{HUN}} * Malév Hungarian Airlines ;{{KAZ}} * Air Kazakhstan * Atyrau Airways * Berkut Air * Euro-Asia Air * Kazair West * Kazaviaspas ; {{flag|Kyrgyzstan}} * Kyrgyzstan Air Company – 1 crashed on 28 December 2011 * Kyrgyzstan Airlines ;{{LAT}} * Latavio ;{{LTU}} * Air Lithuania * Lithuanian Airlines ;{{flag|Moldova}} * Air Moldova<ref name="fi02p54"/> ;{{PER}} * Imperial Air<ref>{{cite web|title=Aviation Safety Network – Imperial Air Peru|url=https://asn.flightsafety.org/database/operators/6010|access-date=2011-01-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103113954/http://aviation-safety.net/database/operator/airline.php?var=6010|archive-date=2012-11-03|url-status=live}}</ref> ;{{POL}} * LOT Polish Airlines ;{{DDR}} * Interflug ;{{RUS}} * Aero Rent * Aeroflot-Plus * Alrosa-Avia * BAL Bashkirian Airlines * Center-South * Izhavia * Rossiya Airlines (government fleet) * Samara Airlines * Kosmos Airlines (3) * Meridian Airlines (1)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.meridian-avia.com/index.php?q=en/pages#panel_node-19|title=Meridian Airline's website|website=meridian-avia.com|language=ru, en-GB|access-date=2019-04-22}}{{Dead link|date=March 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> * Sirius-Aero * Turukhan Airlines * UTair Express ;{{flag|Syria}} * Syrianair ;{{ROU}} * None ever acquired ;{{UKR}} * Ukraine Air Enterprise ;{{VNM}} * Vietnam Airlines ;{{YUG}}/{{SRB}} * Aviogenex{{Cn|date=April 2025}} }}

=== Former military operators === {{Columns-list|colwidth=30em| ; {{AGO}}: People's Air and Air Defence Force of Angola<ref>{{harvnb|Fontanellaz|Cooper|Matos|2020|p=23}}</ref> ; {{ARM}}: Armenian Air Force – 1 stored ; {{flag|Belarus}}: Belarus Air Force ; {{flag|Bulgaria|1971}}: Bulgarian Air Force ; {{CZE}}: Czech Air Force ; {{CSK}}: Czechoslovak Air Force – Passed on to successor states ; {{DEU}}: German Air Force – former operator, taken over from East German Air Force after German reunification ; {{GEO}}: Georgian Air Force ; {{DDR}}: East German Air Force ; {{MDA}}: Moldovan Air Force ; {{PRK}}: North Korean Air Force ; {{POL}}: Polish Air Force. Operated 2 from 1972 to 1977 (later LOT) and 2 from 1977 to 1992. Retired, replaced by 2 Tupolev Tu-154M. ; {{URS}} * Soviet Air Force * Soviet Naval Aviation. Passed on successor states. * Soviet Space Agency * Soviet Internal Troops – Prisoner Transport Service {{flag|Syria}} * Syrianair (1) }}

==Accidents and incidents== {{main|List of accidents and incidents involving the Tupolev Tu-134}}

== Specifications (Tu-134A) == right|thumb {{Aircraft specs |ref=OKB Tupolev,<ref name=Gordon>{{cite book |last1=Gordon |first1=Yefim |last2=Rigmant |first2=Vladimir |last3=Boyd |first3=Alexander |title=OKB Tupolev : a history of the design bureau and its aircraft |date=2005 |publisher=Midland |location=Hinkley |isbn=1857802144 |pages=248–246}}</ref> OAO Tupolev<ref name=OAO>{{cite web|title=Tupolev Tu-134|url=http://tupolev.ru/Russian/Show.asp?SectionID=144|access-date=2006-05-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060515232238/http://www.tupolev.ru/Russian/Show.asp?SectionID=144|archive-date=2006-05-15|url-status=live}}</ref> |prime units?=met  |crew=3–5 flight crew + 3–4 flight attendants |capacity=72–84 passengers / {{cvt|8200|kg|0}} |length m=37.1 |length note= |span m=29.01 |span note= |dia m=2.9 |dia note=fuselage diameter |height m=9.02 |height note= |wing area sqm=127.3 |wing area note= |swept area sqm= |swept area note= |volume m3= |volume note= |aspect ratio= |airfoil='''root:''' PR-1-10S-9 (15.7%); '''tip:''' PR-1-10S-9 (12%)<ref name="Selig">{{cite web |last1=Lednicer |first1=David |title=The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage |url=https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html |website=m-selig.ae.illinois.edu |access-date=16 April 2019 |archive-date=5 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130905115027/https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html |url-status=live }}</ref> |empty weight kg=27960 |empty weight note= |gross weight kg=47000 |gross weight note= |max takeoff weight kg=47600 |max takeoff weight note= |fuel capacity={{cvt|13200|L|USgal impgal}} |more general=  |eng1 number=2 |eng1 name=Soloviev D-30-II |eng1 type=turbofan engines |eng1 kn=66.68 |eng1 note=  |max speed kmh=950 |max speed note= |max speed mach= |cruise speed kmh=850 |cruise speed note= |stall speed kmh= |stall speed note= |never exceed speed kmh= |never exceed speed note= |minimum control speed kmh= |minimum control speed note= |range km=1900-3000 |range note= |combat range km= |combat range note= |ferry range km=3200 |ferry range note= |endurance= |ceiling m=12100 |ceiling note= |g limits= |roll rate= |climb rate ms= |climb rate note= |time to altitude= |wing loading kg/m2= |wing loading note= |fuel consumption kg/km= |thrust/weight=

|more performance=

|avionics= }}

== See also == {{aircontent |related= |similar aircraft= * BAC One-Eleven * Fokker F28 Fellowship * Fokker 100 * McDonnell Douglas DC-9 |lists= * List of civil aircraft * List of jet airliners }}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Sources== * {{cite book |last1=Fontanellaz |first1=Adrien |last2=Cooper |first2=Tom |last3=Matos |first3=Jose Augusto |title=War of Intervention in Angola, Volume 3: Angolan and Cuban Air Forces, 1975-1985 |date=2020 |publisher=Helion & Company Publishing |location=Warwick, UK |isbn=978-1-913118-61-7}} * {{cite magazine|last=Healey|first=John K.|title=Retired Warriors: 'Cold War' Bomber Legacy |magazine=Air Enthusiast |date=January–February 2004|issue=109 |pages=75–79 |issn=0143-5450}} * {{cite magazine|last=Kingsley-Jones|first=Max|title=World airliner census: Running to Stand Still|magazine=Flight International|date=27 August – 2 September 2002|volume=162|issue=4846|pages=30–55|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/2002/2002%20-%202558.html |issn=0015-3710}}

== Further reading == * Komissarov D., ''Tupolev Tu-134'', AeroFax/Midland Publishing (Ian Allan), Hinckley, 2004

== External links == * {{Commonscat inline}}

Tu-0134 Category:1960s Soviet airliners Category:Twinjets Category:T-tail aircraft Category:Aircraft first flown in 1963 Category:Low-wing aircraft Category:Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear