On the occasion of this significant jubilee of the event, Czech Airlines, Prague Airport, the Ministry of Transport, and Air Navigation Services have organised a commemorative gathering for Friday, 7 December. At 10:00 a.m., 30 former pilots and technicians who worked with the Tupolev 104A will be honoured
with a commemorative diploma, coin, and an award at the Czech Airlines administrative and operational centre. The awardees will then move to the Prague Airport Conference Hall, where the commemorative event will continue.

The first commercial jet aircraft served Czechoslovak Airlines until 1974. The last flight was flown by the crew of Captain Stanislav Epstein, co-pilot Boris Rýdl, navigator Marcel Drábek, and on-board mechanic Jan Fíla, on the Prague-Ostrava-Prague route, on 25 April 1974.
When it landed at Ruzynì, less than three hours remained to the end of the Tupolev OK-NDF’s flight life. Subsequently, the aircraft was used as a film prop, as was the second aircraft which at that time still flew in the Czechoslovak Airlines’ fleet, the OK-LDC. That was, in the end, sold to Toužim, near Carlsbad, as a club-room. The OK-NDF ended up near the Spartakiad Stadium in Olomouc, as a restaurant and bar.

Today, a Czechoslovak Airlines Tupolev-104A can be seen in the aviation museum of the Military Historical Institute in Prague-Kbely. This is the very first Tu aircraft used by Czechoslovak Airlines, with the registration mark OK-LDA, which launched the operation of this type on the Moscow route.

Source: Czech Airlines