What does it take to sell a Russian jet to a Russian airline? A cockpit that doesn't need a three-person crew, but the Tu-214's manufacturer can't promise that. -- Meduza

A potential deal between S7 Airlines and Russia’s State Transport Leasing Company (GTLK) for up to 100 Tu-214 passenger jets could collapse or be reduced to a smaller number, according to Kommersant. The Russian business daily cites industry sources and points to three main obstacles: the Kazan Aviation Plant cannot guarantee redesign of the cockpit for a two-person crew instead of its current three-person setup, the aircraft’s flight performance needs improvement and maintenance downtime must shrink, and there is no state subsidy to cut a price of nearly 9 billion rubles. S7 says discussions continue and there is “no question of negotiations falling through,” while a 2024 memorandum requires contract approval by the end of 2026. Aeroflot previously demanded the same cockpit overhaul and dropped the Tu-214 in favor of the MC-21. The Tu-214, first flown in 1996, targets state and government users and has faced delays in domestic output, with early state aviation deliveries scheduled for 2026 and production reaching up to 20 aircraft per year.