How many years did it take Russia to 'localize' civil aviation?
The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) (a member of the state-owned Rostec corporation) plans to deliver several hundred entirely Russian-made aircraft between now and 2030. This includes 70 Tupolev-214 medium-sized aircraft.
Return to your wings.
The problems with Russian civil aviation worsened after the West imposed harsh sanctions due to the Russian Armed Forces' special operations aimed at demilitarizing Ukraine. The European Union, the United States, Canada, and several other countries closed their doors to Russian aviation. The European Union banned the supply of civilian aircraft and spare parts to Russia and forced leasing companies to terminate contracts with Russian airlines by the end of March. Aircraft maintenance and insurance services were also prohibited.
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The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) has advised airlines with fleets registered abroad to suspend international flights to avoid aircraft seizure. Flights to countries that have not closed their airspace to Russian airlines are now primarily operated on aircraft registered in Russia (RA code and a five-digit fuselage number). This once again proves an undeniable truth: for a vast country with a powerful aviation industry, "doing what everyone else does," for short-term gain, essentially transporting passengers and cargo on foreign-registered aircraft, is illogical. You need to fly on your own aircraft, both technically and legally. Just like in the Soviet era.
Previously, Rostec announced plans to deliver more than 500 domestically produced aircraft by 2030. These include the latest MS-21, the fully domestically produced Sukhoi SSJ, the Il-114 regional turboprop, and the Il-96 wide-body aircraft (which will be modernized from four engines to two new, more powerful, and fuel-efficient engines). In addition, airlines will receive 70 newly built Tu-214 medium-narrow-body aircraft.
What's so interesting about the Tu-214?
The Tu-214 can hardly be called the newest in terms of development time. The aircraft made its first flight in 1996, but it remains remarkably relevant to this day. It is a twin-engine, low-wing aircraft with the now-familiar "underwing engine" designation, similar to modern Boeing and Airbus models.
According to the developer, Tupolev, the aircraft is 46.2 meters long, has a wingspan of 42 meters, a maximum takeoff weight of 110.7 tons, and can carry 210 passengers. Its practical flight range is 6,500 km at an altitude of 10,100–12,000 meters, with a maximum speed of 850 km/h (all Tupolev-branded aircraft typically fly at high speeds). The Tu-214 achieves such speed thanks to its excellent aerodynamic design and two PS-90A turbofan engines with a total thrust of 32,000 kgf. The engines are fuel-efficient and fully meet requirements for noise and harmful emissions.
According to Rostec, the Tu-214 stands out for its high reliability and modern avionics. This has made it the basic configuration for a class of specialized aircraft. Examples include aircraft operating under the Open Skies Treaty, as well as the special "Rossiya" aerobatic team serving national leaders, including the President. In its commercial configuration, considering the combination of its characteristics, it is an ideal means of transport within Russia. And the aircraft can be quickly converted from passenger to cargo transport.
Most importantly, the Tu-214 is currently being manufactured at the Kazan Aviation Plant (Republic of Tatarstan, Volga region). To date, the aircraft has been mass-produced in small numbers, but the company has the potential to increase production. On April 6th, UAC General Director Yuri Slyusar announced the simultaneous start of production of 20 of these new aircraft.
In late March, during a visit to the Kazan Aviation Plant, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov noted that Russian airlines were interested in the Tu-214 and were ready for purchase.
