OREANDA-NEWS. May 7, 2010. Kirov regional governor Nikita Belykh and UTair Aviation CEO Andrei Martirosov, UTair-Express CEO Anatoly Karavayev and Kirov Airline General Director Alexander Andreychuk have signed a joint cooperation agreement for the provision of regular air transport service to Kirov and neighboring regions and for future expansion of direct and transit flights to destinations throughout Russia from the Kirov airport.

Under terms of the agreement, UTair-Express - a subsidiary of UTair airline – will incorporate Kirov Airline technical staff in its plans to develop a line MRO station on the base of the Kirov Airport ground service infrastructure.

UTair is the Russian leader in domestic passenger traffic and has the most developed route network in the country. UTair aircraft perform more than 250 passenger flights daily in the high season. In 2010, UTair transported more than 4.8 million passengers - nearly 30% more than in 2009. This year will witness the introduction of 20 new routes. UTair operations for 2010 will involve operations of over 100 aircraft, including Boeing 737, ATR 72, Bombardier CRJ 200 and the ATR 42.