Tu-214 to become 2.5 tons lighter and carry up to 220 passengers

The Tu-214, a Soviet-era design, is being prepared for a new stage of modernization. In addition to increasing production rates, designers at the Kazan Aircraft Plant are working on a serious update to the aircraft itself, according to the "Tekhnosfera Rossiya" publication.

One of the main tasks will be to reduce the aircraft's weight by approximately 2.5 tons.

At the same time, a new cabin layout is being considered. While today the standard passenger capacity of the Tu-214 is about 210 seats (depending on the configuration), the prospective version will be able to carry up to 220 passengers.

In parallel, the creation of a modernized version, the Tu-214M, is being discussed. Key changes include transitioning to a two-pilot cockpit instead of three, which will bring the aircraft closer to modern global operating standards.

These changes to the Tu-214 are taking place against the backdrop of Ramil Akhmadeev's appointment as Deputy Managing Director of PAO "Tupolev". He will oversee the production of the passenger airliner at KAZ.