OREANDA-NEWS. October 8, 2007. UTair (UTair Aviation, JSC)’s Eurocopter BO-105 has started flights for the Emergency Medicine Center of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Region – Yugra. The helicopter carries on board special medical equipment required to provide emergency aid and is on alert twenty four hours a day in the region’s central airport. The helicopter can fly to hard-to-reach areas of the Khanty-Mansiysk district.

The airline views operations performed with a BO-105 helicopter as another step in its Light Helicopters program. Earlier, UTair put the Eurocopter AS-355N into service, helicopters that are characterized by their high fuel efficiency. They are used to carry VIP customers and patrol oil and gas pipelines, as well as for photo and video surveys and carrying small cargo on external sling. Now, they will be used for medical purposes as well.

UTair has tremendous experience in air ambulance service both locally and internationally. From only January 2007, the airline has completed over 1,000 such tasks for Emergency Medicine Center within the boundaries of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Region.

In all, four of UTair’s Mi-8 helicopters, as well as the recently commissioned BO-105 are engaged in medical service in Western Siberia. The airline plans to put two more BO-105 aircraft into service in Surgut and Beryozovo (Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Region - Yugra) in the near future.