OREANDA-NEWS. June 27, 2012. UTair Group helicopters transport operations logged a total of 56,319 flight hours in the first 5 months of 2012, 28% more than for the same reporting period of last year.

In the same period UTair Group helicopters transported 287,717 passengers and delivered 42,329.2 tons of cargo.

Growth of performance indicators is associated with fleet modernization and expansion of the company’s service operations portfolio. During this period, UTair helicopters performed a wide range of operations, including the transportation of bulk cargo, VIP passenger transport on specially-equipped aircraft, and fire fighting operations in Russia and abroad.

UTair plans to further extend its helicopter fleet by launching passenger operations on comfortable mid-sized AW139 helicopters produced by AgustaWestland. UTair will use the Italian made helicopters for corporate and VIP personnel transportation in Russia.

UTair continues to receive helicopter deliveries of AS350/355 Ecureuil helicopters from Eurocopter according to its contract with the European manufacturer for the delivery of 20 rotorcraft concluded in 2011. In 2013 UTair expects to start receiving next-generation EC175s as part of a contract with Eurocopter for the delivery of 15 such helicopters. UTair will be one of the launch customers for this helicopter model.

UTair Aviation, part of the UTair Group, is the leading helicopter operator in the world in terms of transport capacity and fleet size, with more than 330 domestic and foreign made helicopters in operation. UTair has provided transportation support for United Nations peacekeeping missions since 1992 and is the largest provider of helicopter services to the UN. Principal UTair clients for helicopter services in Russia include leading Russian oil and gas companies, many of which have more than 40 years of cooperation with the airline. In 2011 UTair helicopters transported 798,249 passengers and 157,250 tons of cargo and logged 139.58 thousand flight hours. The range of rotorcraft capability in the UTair fleet and the professionalism of UTair personnel ensure the safety and service quality of flight operations at any level complexity in all geographic and climatic zones of the planet.