OREANDA-NEWS. August 3, 2007.UTair (UTair Aviation, JSC) has started operations at the Vankor oil and gas field located in the Turukhansk and Dudinsk districts of the Krasnoyarsk region. The air carrier won Rosneft's tender for helicopter operations as part of a large-scale investment project in Eastern Siberia. Two Mi-171s specifically constructed for the project at the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant (UUAZ) are already bringing workmen in for their shifts on the site. Under the long-term contract between the two companies, UTair will carry out a full range of aviation operations at Vankor oil and gas field.

UTair fully meets Rosneft's requirements of having its own helicopters fleet licensed to carry out various assignments, well-developed technical infrastructure necessary for servicing helicopters, and extensive experience in flights to regions with complex environmental and climate conditions (Siberia, Canada, Africa).

The new project has expanded UTair's operations in Eastern Siberia, as the company has been operating in the Irkutsk region since April 2007. UTair Aviation is Russia's leading helicopter operator and a distinguished global helicopter business. The company's helicopter fleet is comprised of more than 180 helicopters, including over 20 Mi-26s with a maximum load factor of 20 tonnes. Dozens of UTair's helicopters are used to carry out export contracts in different parts of the world – from North America to South Africa. UTair projects a 25-percent increase in revenue from its helicopter operations in 2007.