The Irkutsk Airport opened on 24 June 1925. Six aircraft from Moscow landed at the airport as part of a flight to Beijing. Of these six planes, four were domestic and two were foreign. This flight was headed by captain I.P. Shmidt. The event was the beginning of aviation service in Siberia. On 10–13 August 1928 the first postal/passenger flight on the Irkutsk–Bodaybo seaplane route arrived. It was a Junkers F 13 named Mossovet. In August 1932 the air route from Moscow to Vladivostok opened with a stop in Irkutsk. Irkutsk aviators started to fly the Irkutsk to Mogocha route. In January 1948, daily flights on the Irkutsk–Moscow, Irkutsk–Bodaybo–Yakutsk air routes were started. On December 30, 1954, Irkutsk Airport was elevated to international status. On September 15, 1956, the Tupolev Tu-104 first arrived in Irkutsk by tech-flight from Beijing. The Moscow–Irkutsk route initiated that day marked the first Soviet jet-airliner-operated passenger route. The flight was performed by a Moscow crew headed by captain E.P. Barabash. On March 7, 1975, the first Tupolev Tu-154 jets landed in Irkutsk. On April 4, 1975, the first flight to Moscow on Tupolev Tu-154 was performed. On November 11, 1980, the first Il-76 CCCP-76525 arrived in Irkutsk. The crew consisted of: flight instructor ??? Mr. M. V. Ptitsyn, the commander ??? Mr. V. F. Podshivalov, captain-probationer A.V. Bobylkov and other flying experts. On December 19, 1980, the first flight was performed on the route Irkutsk–Polyarnyi using the Il-76. It was headed by air detachment commander Mr. v. I. Sviridov. On April 1, 1992, according to order No. 238 d.d. 30 March, Irkutsk United Air Group was reorganized. There were Irkutsk Airport State Enterprise (SE "Irkutsk Airport") and Air company Baikal Public Corporation. On October 28, 1994, certificate No. 045-?-? from the Intergovernmental Aviation Committee in accordance with certification requirements was given. The airport was accepted as suitable for international flights. On December 16, 1994, the acting terminal of international flights was put into commission. Irkutsk International Airport held its first aircraft spotting session on November 13, 2009, becoming the third large city in Russia (after Moscow and Novosibirsk). The event has become a tradition. On July 2, 2010, Irkutsk Airport celebrated its 85th anniversary.