The Tu-214 is also a variation of the Tu-204 first flown on 21 March 1996.[29] It is technically a Tu-204-200, one of the differences being that it is built by a different factory. Planes designated Tu-204 are produced in Ulyanovsk by Aviastar-SP; Tu-214 in Kazan by the Kazan Aircraft Production Association (KAPO).[30][31] Both factories are independent from the Tupolev design bureau and have some control over the design of the variant they produce.

The main difference is a full-size main door at the left side of the fuselage just before the wing. The Tu-204 has two main doors and two emergency doors; the Tu-214 has three doors and one emergency door.

The Tu-214 is essentially a higher gross weight variant of the Tu-204, being fitted with extra fuel tanks and structural adjustments to deal with the heavier gross weight. For this reason, the Russian government prefers to use it as the platform upon which all further modifications for the 'Special Mission' variants will be based. Some of the special mission variants are claimed to be capable of a non-stop 10,000-kilometre flight range.[32]

As of July 2018, a total of three Tupolev Tu-214 aircraft were in airline service with Rossiya.[33]

In March 2022, CEO of Rostec Sergey Chemezov declared a possibility to relaunch big production of Tu-214 due to International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War.[34] On 6 April 2022, Yuri Slusar announced the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) had already started production of 20 Tu-214s to replace Russia's fleet of Boeing and Airbus passenger aircraft.[35]

On 16 August 2022, United Aircraft Corporation announced plans to increase Tupolev Tu-214 production to at least 10 to 12 aircraft per year, with the aim to produce 70 Tupolev Tu-214 by 2030.[36] It was said the first Tu-214 for commercial flights expected to appear in 2024,[37] then delayed to 2025, but later that year in November, a 100% Russian-made prototype had its maiden flight as a testbed