Russia’s Kazan Aircraft Production Association (KAZ) will deliver only one Tu-214 passenger jet in 2025, falling short of its revised target of three aircraft, the Kazan-based news website Business Online reported this week, citing industry sources.
It marks the third consecutive year that the plant has missed its production goals.
Under Russia’s Comprehensive Program for the Development of Civil Aviation (KPGA), KAZ was originally slated to deliver three Tu-214s in 2023, seven in 2024 and 10 in 2025.
While those targets were later reduced, output has still failed to meet expectations.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the plant has produced just one Tu-214 — an aircraft that was laid down in 2019 and delivered to the Industry and Trade Ministry in May 2025. The plane is expected to count toward the 2024 figures, as it first flew that year.
Sources cited a shortage of skilled workers, limited production capacity and poor coordination within the domestic aviation sector as key reasons for the delays.
“On top of everything else, KAZ has simply forgotten how to operate. The decline started back in the early 1990s,” one source told Business Online.
The aircraft that was supposed to be completed in October or November is still not ready, according to one of the sources, who added that certification of its components had been planned for December.
“If they don’t finish in time, they’ll have to buy imported parts at three to four times the previous cost, or strip them from other planes,” the source said.
The completed jet is reportedly intended for insurance company Sogaz, though delivery appears unlikely in the near term, the source said.
The KPGA envisions production of five Tu-214s in 2026, though Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov has said the program will be revised again before the end of this year.
Rostec CEO Sergei Chemezov in August said KAZ would begin producing 20 Tu-214s annually by 2028-2029, a goal that Business Online’s sources called unrealistic.
The Tu-214, designed in the late 1980s by the Tupolev design bureau, seats about 210 passengers and belongs to the Tu-204/214 family of medium-range airliners.
Russia’s current civil aviation program foresees the production of 113 Tu-214s by 2030.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
