Russian Tu-214 Aircraft Completes First Flight as "Flying Laboratory" for Import Substitution

The Tu-214 aircraft, produced by the Kazan Aviation Plant, a branch of Tupolev JSC under the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), has completed its first flight after being restored to airworthiness.

The Tu-214 is a twin-engine narrow-body aircraft derived from the Tu-204, with a passenger capacity of 210 and a range of 6,500 km.

The aircraft is intended for use as a "flying laboratory" to test various components and onboard systems as part of Russia's comprehensive import substitution program, and for the modernization and further development of the Tu-214 platform.

The flight took place at the airfield of the Kazan Aviation Plant, with the aircraft piloted by a crew from Tupolev JSC. The flight lasted 1.5 hours, reaching an altitude of 10,000 meters. During this period, necessary checks of all systems and onboard equipment were conducted. According to the crew, the flight proceeded smoothly, with all systems and equipment performing without issues.

This "flying laboratory" will play a critical role in replacing imported components with domestically produced ones. The work on substituting components, systems, and equipment is set to continue until the end of the year. Following this phase, the aircraft will undergo retrofitting and painting.

Konstantin Timofeev, First Deputy General Director of PJSC UAC and Managing Director of JSC Tupolev, said, "This aircraft will be the first completely Russian aircraft in recent decades. We can say that it will be the progenitor of a line of entirely domestic 'Tupolevs'."