Russian-Made Aircraft to Take Priority Over Foreign Imports; Tu-214 Aircraft Progresses

Vladimir Putin participated in the Plenary Session of the Future Technologies Forum. The event is taking place at the World Trade Center in Moscow.

Speaking at the event, the Russian President said, “External challenges and sanctions, despite their difficulties, have played an important stimulating role for us. Yes, the MC-21 project was slightly delayed, but we did everything with our own hands and minds, and now it’s moving forward. We need to work just as actively and constructively in all other areas.”

Simultaneously, a delegation of Irkutsk Duma deputies visited the assembly line for the MC-21 passenger aircraft, the factory’s history museum, and a hangar for ground testing.

Alexander Veprev, Director General of the Irkutsk, informed the visitors, “Our enterprise manufactures three main aircraft: the Yak training aircraft, the Su-30 multirole fighter—produced for the Ministry of Defense and export—and the well-known MC-21 passenger jet.”

In the interim, First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said to the Russia 1 TV channel that Russian-made aircraft will be prioritized, even if foreign aircraft deliveries resume. The government intends to implement a system in which airlines will prioritize the acquisition of certified domestic airliners.

According to Manturov, a simple return of foreign manufacturers to the Russian market, just like their exit in 2022, is no longer possible. Authorities will carefully evaluate each case of foreign companies returning.

This new approach aims to ensure the stable development of the Russian aviation industry and its independence from geopolitical factors.

In an earlier statement, Manturov pointed out that no one has approached the Russian government regarding the potential return of Boeing aircraft to the Russian market. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that Russia would be amenable to resuming titanium product supplies to Boeing if the company demonstrates interest.

While the MC-21 and PD-14 engines are in the news, the Tu-214 is being quietly tested with newer initiatives.

On February 21, the Tu-214LL aircraft, which was assigned the board number 64509, successfully completed an additional flight. The primary flight area encompassed the airspace of the Republic of Mordovia and the Ryazan region, and the launch was conducted from the Kazan Aviation Plant airfield.   In 2006, Kazan produced the Tu-214 aircraft with registration number RA-64509. After Transaero Airlines’ bankruptcy in 2015, the aircraft went into storage. The aircraft flew for the first time in June 2024, following its restoration to airworthy condition. Subsequently, it was transported to Minsk for repainting in the corporate livery of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC). The aircraft underwent modernization upon its return to Kazan, which involved the replacement of imported components with Russian-made equivalents.

The objective of the Tu-214 modernization initiative is to achieve a complete import substitution of this aircraft type. More than 240 onboard equipment components of the Tu-214 were required to be substituted with Russian-made counterparts in accordance with Order No. 663 of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, dated March 31, 2015. Industry representatives have scheduled the replacement of 15 primary and approximately 30 secondary systems.

The HG2030AE21 inertial navigation system, the Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS), and the RDR-4B weather radar, all made by the American company Honeywell, were replaced. Air Cruisers also sent emergency and rescue gear. Drive generators, fuel and hydraulic pumps, and a variety of sensors, relays, electrical connectors, contactors, filters, and cabin and other aircraft equipment components necessitated domestic replacement.

On June 22, 2023, Vadim Korolev, the Managing Director of Tupolev JSC at the time, informed the Russian government that the Tu-214 satisfies contemporary civil aviation standards, is produced locally to a high degree, and is composed of 87% domestically sourced components. He stated that the Tu-214 will undergo a comprehensive import substitution of components and materials by the conclusion of 2024.

The first flight of the Tu-214LL (64509) with the enhanced systems occurred in November 2024, following the replacement of imported components. The integration of new Russian systems with the aircraft’s existing equipment is verified during flight tests of the Tu-214LL to assure reliability and safety.

The flying laboratory is also being used to develop a two-pilot cockpit variant of the aircraft, a requirement from Aeroflot that is intended to enhance operational efficiency and reduce airline costs. This version is currently in the process of implementing an updated integrated aircraft control system.

Since November 2024, the Tu-214LL (64509) has conducted approximately 20 flights. These flights include an assessment flight following restoration, as well as ferry flights to Minsk and back to Kazan. The aircraft concluded its 17th flight as a flying laboratory under the import-substituted aircraft certification program on February 21, 2025, as per the information obtained from the “Aviation of Russia” website. It has successfully completed eight flights in February alone.