TU-154 / AeroflotTupolev TU 154 Aeroflot airplane model. Tupolev's Tu 154 tri jet remains the standard medium range airliner on domestic flights in Russia and other states of the former Soviet Union and to a lesser extent in eastern Europe and Iran. The Tu 154 was developed to replace the turbojet powered Tupolev Tu 104, plus the An 10 and Il 18 turboprops. Design criteria in replacing these three relatively diverse aircraft included the ability to operate from gravel