Defence Minister Klich flies to Kosovo on remaining Tupolev

Tu-154 number 102 in Sarajevo, photo: A.Skieterska

The flight marks the first time a top-ranking Polish official has travelled on a government Tupolev since the disastrous air crash in April last year killed 96, including Poland’s president Lech Kaczynski.

Before the flight took off from Warsaw’s Military Airport, Minister Klich told journalists that he is not nervous about the flight, and completely trusts the plane’s crew.

“This is not the first time I have flown with this plane […]. I’m just flying with the troops to keep them company on their way to our destination,” Klich said before take-off.

Poland’s Tu-154M, registered under number 102, was recently grounded after Rosaviacia, Russia’s Federal Aviation Agency recommended that all Tu-154M planes should be grounded due to construction faults and reliability issues.

After an application from Poland’s Air Force asking whether the Polish Tupolev was airworthy, at the end of April this year Rosaviacia sent a communiqué that as Poland’s last remaining Tupolev had been overhauled last year, it could be used for transporting Polish VIPs. (jb)

Source: IAR/TVP Info