OREANDA-NEWS. On 06 July 2009 was announced, that the headline operating figures, which illustrate UTair Aviation activities in May 2009, have exceeded the operating figures of the similar period of 2008.

Despite a decrease in transportations which is currently observed in aviation industry, UTair Aviation carried more than 282,188 passengers in May, 2009 which exceeds the corresponding figures of the previous year by 6,6%. Another key industry index – amount of passengers carried by the Company – has grown by 13,5% versus May, 2008 and now totals to 457,6 million passenger kilometers. At the same time passenger load factor of the Company flights in May, 2009 amounted to 72,2%, which makes an increase of 5,2 points in comparison with the similar period of the previous year.

The helicopter division of the Company also shows a stable growth in operating figures. UTair helicopters have accumulated 8 382 FH, which exceeds the corresponding figures of the previous year by 11,9%. For the accounting period the Company helicopters have carried more than 6 381 tons of cargo, thus exceeding May 2008 figures by 21, 8%. Summarizing the results of the first five months of 2009, UTair helicopter flight time exceeded the headline figures of the previous year by 10,7% and totaled to 25 652 FH, and the cargo carried by the Company aircraft amounted to 12 694 tons, which makes a 23% rise in comparison with January-May, 2008.

In spring-summer UTair scheduled flights will connect 65 cities in Russia and abroad. The summer operational program includes over 100 fixed wing aircraft of various types performing more than 200 flights each day. In the spring-summer 2009 the Company has launched a number of new flights namely along the following routes: Samara-Tel Aviv, Moscow - Mineralnye Vody, St.Petersburg – Kaliningrad and some others. In accordance with UTair Business Plan, fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters operated by the Company are going to fly 257,8 thousand hours in 2009. Passenger aircraft are to carry more than 3 million passengers. UTair Aviation is going to operate helicopters both in Russia and in ten foreign countries.