▁July ▁ 1 9 4 1 . ▁During ▁the ▁Great ▁Patri otic ▁War , ▁it ▁was ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁military ▁air base ; ▁passenger ▁services ▁started ▁after ▁the ▁war . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 5 ▁September ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁the ▁T up ole v ▁Tu - 1 0 4 ▁jet lin er ▁made ▁its ▁first ▁passenger ▁flight ▁from ▁Moscow ▁V n uk ovo ▁to ▁Ir k ut sk ▁via ▁Om sk . ▁ ▁On ▁ 4 ▁November ▁ 1 9 5 7 , ▁a ▁plane ▁carrying ▁Roman ian ▁Work ers ' ▁Party ▁officials , ▁including ▁the ▁most ▁prominent ▁polit icians ▁of ▁Commun ist ▁Roman ia ▁( G he org he ▁G he org hi u - De j , ▁Ch iv u ▁Sto ica , ▁Alexand ru ▁M og h ior o ș , ▁ Ş te fan ▁Vo ite c , ▁Nicola e ▁Ce au ş es cu , ▁Le onte ▁R ă ut u , ▁and ▁Gr ig ore ▁Pre ote asa ), ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁an ▁accident ▁at ▁V n uk ovo ▁Airport . ▁Pre ote asa , ▁who ▁was ▁Minister ▁of ▁Foreign ▁Affairs ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁was ▁killed , ▁as ▁was ▁the ▁aircraft ' s ▁crew . ▁Several ▁others ▁were ▁seriously ▁injured . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁passenger ▁fl ights ▁of ▁the ▁IL - 1 8 ▁( M osc ow ▁to ▁Al ma - A ta ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁April ▁ 1 9 5 6 ) ▁and ▁Tu - 1 1 4 ▁( M osc