The resumption of production of the Tu-214 passenger aircraft at the Kazan Aircraft Plant will occur in a configuration certified two decades ago — with a three-person crew and previously used power plants. This was stated by Oleg Smirnov, Honored Pilot of the USSR and flight safety advisor for the Russian Flight Crew Trade Unions.
Why a proven configuration was chosen
The specialist noted that an aircraft can receive a type certificate only after the safety of all its components — systems, devices, and mechanisms — has been confirmed. Since the transition to a two-person crew requires the installation of a complex electronic system instead of a flight engineer, a compromise solution was reached.
First, several Tu-214s in the old configuration.
The situation was forced, the expert stated. After Aeroflot refused to purchase the aircraft due to the third crew member, production continued only for the needs of the Russian Ministry of Defence. In conditions of deficit and lack of alternatives, the Kazan Plant will return to the proven configuration, which has already undergone certification.
What prevents reducing the crew
The transition to a two-person crew is not just a reduction in staff, but a full-fledged digitalization of the flight engineer's functions. It requires installing new sensors, software, and conducting a cycle of ground and flight tests. Work is also underway to modernize onboard systems, but the completion of all tests is still far off. Therefore, the first aircraft after the break will receive previously used components, some of which are planned to be obtained through parallel imports.
When to expect a fully updated airliner
As the expert noted, even for simpler projects — Il-114-300 and SJ-100 — certification dates have been repeatedly postponed. While new systems for the Superjet were being developed, the Ministry of Industry and Trade temporarily returned to producing its previous version. The Kazan Plant is now following a similar path.
The main conclusion of the industry specialist: in the current conditions, priority is given not to innovation, but to maintaining the production chain and the availability of a fleet of mainline aircraft. This is a forced measure that allows aviation manufacturing to continue. However, for passengers and airlines, this means that modern, economical, and automated versions of the Tu-214 will appear on the schedule only after the key task is solved — the implementation of a reliable system to replace the flight engineer. Until then, the Russian aviation industry will rely on proven, but morally outdated solutions.