OREANDA-NEWS. November 27, 2012. Key performance indicators for UTair Group helicopter operations for the first 10 months of 2012 have surpassed results for the same period last year.

UTair Group helicopter transport operations logged a total of 141,678 flight hours in the first 10 months of 2012, constituting 20.8% more than for the same reporting period last year. In the same period, UTair Group helicopters transported 670,879 passengers and delivered 137,623 tons of cargo.

Growth of performance indicators has been a result of fleet modernization and expansion of the airline's service operations portfolio. During the reporting period, UTair helicopters performed a wide range of operations, including the transportation of bulk cargo, VIP passenger transport on specially-equipped rotorcraft, and fire fighting operations in Russia and abroad.

UTair Group helicopters are also involved in construction works in preparation for the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, performing transport services and erecting operations in Krasnaya Polyana. The versatile Kamov 32 and Mil 8AMT helicopters are being exploited for these operations. In Sochi UTair helicopters perform helibucket operations, construction and assembly works for the completion of aerial lifts and cableways, mounting special canons for firing at avalanche-prone areas and other objects.

With its considerable flight experience in tough mountain conditions, UTair plans to expand the volume of helicopter operations in North Caucasus. UTair has concluded contracts for helicopter operations as part of the construction of a cableway in the town of Arkhiz in the Karachai-Cherkess Republic.

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 350 domestic and foreign made helicopters in operation, primarily Mil and Eurocopter. UTair Group helicopters service clients on 4 continents. 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. UTair is the largest provider of helicopter services to the UN since 2002. 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.