The Kazan Aircraft Plant has transferred the third new Tu-214, built after the resumption of serial production of airliners, to the flight test station. The aircraft may take to the air by the end of the year, but even this result still leaves KAZ significantly below the industry's stated pace of four aircraft per year.

Tupolev informed BUSINESS Online about the transfer of the aircraft to the Flight Test Station, without disclosing its customer. The publication, citing its own sources in the aviation industry, links the aircraft to the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations.

According to the terms of the state contract, the aircraft must receive an enhanced comfort cabin and a communication unit, as well as the possibility of conversion for medical evacuation, transportation of patients, and assistance during flight. The estimated range is 7.3 thousand km, the contract value is 9.8 billion rubles.

If the Tu-214 manages to make its first flight before the end of December, KAZ will be able to deliver two new passenger aircraft to customers in one year for the first time in several years. In 2025, the plant launched one new aircraft, which was intended for Sogaz and was accepted by the customer in May 2026.

The pace is still significantly behind the plans for ramping up production. In the summer, industry representatives spoke of four Tu-214s in 2026 and eight in 2027, while Tupolev formulated the production task as the production of four aircraft this year and the launch of eight aircraft into production next year. Another Tu-214 is currently in final assembly, the next one is in aggregate assembly.