First sustained jet airline service

The first sustained jet airline service was provided by the Russian airline Aeroflot on an internal route system – Moscow – Omsk – Irkutsk, which began on 15 September 1956 cutting the journey time from 18 to 7 hours. The aircraft used was the Tupolev Tu-104 “Camel”. It was the second jet-powered airliner to enter service after the de Havilland Comet. It had a maximum take-off weight of 167,550lbs (76,000kg), a cruising speed of 513 knots (950km/hr) and a range of 1,430 nautical miles (2,650 km). About 200 aircraft were built by the time production ended in 1960, and the type continued in civil service with Aeroflot until 1981.