Originally Posted by
HZ123
I also recall being in Almaty and was told that the TU144 ended up doing freight services between Moscow and Almaty at the end of its brief life. There were 2 TU's present both in poor condition.
I think the Tu144 started doing cargo flights there from Moscow, not ended up doing so. This was standard Soviet procedure of the times and was done on a number of new types being introduced to service. It subsequently moved on to intermittent passenger service on the route, though it's not apparent how you actually got tickets on it. It's 1,700 nm from Moscow, about as far as the aircraft could reliably get at the time, mostly over the unpopulated Kazakh desert. I believe standard fares were charged of about 85 roubles one way (about US$85 at the time); undoubtedly the best supersonic fare ever offered.
Almaty (nowadays) was known as Alma Ata in Soviet days when the 144 was serving there.
Most of the Tu144s still exist, scattered around, there are a number in the open at their old base of Moscow Zhukovsky that can be spotted on Google Earth, as well as others on display elsewhere.
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Russi...t,+Russia&z=17
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Russi...t,+Russia&z=18