VLADIVOSTOK, September 4. /TASS/. Potential customers in addition to Red Wings and Yakutia Airlines are discussing the purchase of Tu-214 aircraft, Russian Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Gennady Abramenkov told TASS in an interview on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).

"Red Wings and Yakutia Airlines are among the operators that would like to use this aircraft. There are also other potential customers that are currently discussing the purchase of these aircraft," he said.

The Tu-214 is a Russian twin-engine medium-range passenger aircraft designed for flights of up to 4,500 km.

In December last year, the upgraded Tu-214 received approval for a major change to the Tu-214 type design. The aircraft successfully passed certification tests after imported equipment, materials and components were replaced with Russian-made equivalents. Approval of the change to the Tu-214 type design paves the way for full-scale serial production of the aircraft, Russian Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov said earlier.

The Eastern Economic Forum is being held on September 1-4 in Vladivostok on the campus of Far Eastern Federal University. The forum is organized by the Roscongress Foundation with the support of the Russian government. TASS is the general information partner.