The trailer was developed at the Riga Civil Aviation Plant No. 85, Latvian SSR, in the early 1970s for Aeroflot airlines. It is a passenger semi-trailer with a ZIL-130V1 truck tractor. Serial production was organized in 1973. APPA-4 is designed to transport passengers from the airport terminal to the aircraft ramp and back. Designed for operation at airports with a hard surface, it accommodates 16 sitting passengers and 130 standing passengers.
The APPA-4 is still in use today in many of Russia's smaller airports throughout the country and some ex-Soviet republics.
