Introducing the Tupolev Tu-454: Russia unveils new long-haul aircraft competitor

At the 20th Venture Forum in Kazan, Russia鈥檚 United Aircraft Company Tupolev presented the Tu-454, a new long-range civilian airliner that the company hopes to produce.

On its telegram feed, the company said that several officials visited the company鈥檚 stand, including Russian Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov and Aid to the President of the Russian Federation, Andrei Fursenko. The project was also presented to the Head of the Republic of Tatarstan (a part of Russia) Rustam Minnikhanov, by Kirill Aseev, deputy chief designer of Tupolev.

suggests that the project is meant to be an attempt by Tupolev to produce a competitor to Boeing鈥檚 787 Dreamliner and Airbus鈥 A350 lines. Others, including says the aircraft is akin to a 鈥淏oeing 767-400 or Boeing 787.鈥

Introducing the Tu-454

Very few details are known about the company鈥檚 new widebody jet. The timeline, current status and specifications are seemingly under wraps. A report by suggests that the aircraft type has not appeared in UAC official documents before, but was teased as an option in a slide published by the United Engine Corporation.

As it stands, Tupolev is focused on the production of its flagship narrowbody jet, the Tu-214. It produces no other civilian aircraft today.

Alexey Shadanov, project manager at JSC Tupolev said the following regarding the event in Kazan: 鈥淲e are focused on our primary objective鈥攕caling up serial production of the Tu-214. At the same time, our design team鈥檚 work to improve this aircraft and develop new designs and technologies never ceases.鈥

Holding up type certificate for Tupolev Tu-214
Photo: UAC

The comments were published on .

鈥淲e collaborate with leading industry institutes and research centres, taking into account all global trends. This forms an important foundation of the Tupolev school.鈥

Development of PD-26 engines

According to the slides produced by United Engine Corporation, the new Tu-454 is to be powered by PD-26 engines. This same power-plant is to be fitted onto a new heavy military aircraft as well.

Powerpoint slide showing the future engine development in Russia.
Slide from the United Engine Corporation, sourced from .

A little bit more is known about the engine power-plant relative to the new aircraft. The PD-26 was unveiled in 2025 and is meant to be a new high-thrust aircraft engine with testing of the demonstrator having already begun.

It is based on the same technology as the company鈥檚 PD-35 鈥 so it is not completely new. It features a modular unified core generator and some new technology and material including ceramic composites and an active blade cooling system.

It is expected to be produced by 2030.

Tupolev鈥檚 current Tu-214 line

Tupolev is still focused on its short-range line of Tu-214s which have had a rocky history. It was meant to deliver the first aircraft in 2024, but this did not happen and testing is still ongoing.

At the end of last year, Russia granted a type certificate to the Tu-214 made with fully Russian parts. The project received a much-needed boost in February this year when the S7 Group signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to order 100 Tu-214s.

Tupolev Tu-214 in factory
Photo: UAC

Beyond the Tu-214, Russian civilian aircraft maintenance and manufacturing that were introduced in 1999.