The Tu-134 was designed in 1963 and based on Tupolev's earlier Tu-124, with a larger tailplane and more powerful Soloviev D-30 engines. It also shared some similarities with the Tu-16 bomber, including a glass nose and low-pressure tires that allowed it to operate from unpaved runways. The aircraft first flew on July 29th, 1963, with production beginning three years later. It entered service in September 1967 with Aeroflot. Approximately 850 were built between then and 1984, when production was halted. Many are still in service with several airlines and air forces around the world, but its increasing obsolescence and high maintenance costs have resulted in more and more being retired. Russia set plans in 2011 for their fleet of Tu-134s to be retired by 2012.