Civil aviation profile prints. Available prints options: Design / Dark Theme / Plain background; Size Panorama (914×305 mm / 36"×12"); Size Standard (610×305 mm / 24"×12").
Tupolev Tu-154M Transportgeschwader 44 (TG-44)
Registration: DDR-SFA Type: Tu-154M Engines: 3 × D-30КU-154 Serial Number: 0799 First flight: 1989
Transportgeschwader 44 (TG-44), named after German politician Arthur Pieck, was established in 1971 and based at Marxwalde airfield (now Bagicz, Poland). The unit was responsible for transport operations, including the carriage of GDR leadership, diplomats, and military cargo. The Tu-154M entered service with TG-44 in the 1980s, becoming one of the most advanced aircraft in the GDR’s fleet. It was primarily used for VIP transport, facilitating international travel for members of the SED Politburo and senior National People’s Army officials. Following the dissolution of the GDR and the Warsaw Pact in 1990, TG-44 was disbanded. The Tu-154M continued limited operations in unified Germany but was phased out by the mid-1990s, replaced by modern Western aircraft such as the Airbus A310.