OREANDA-NEWS. January 22, 2013. A UTair-Cargo mission operating with an An-74 aircraft has successfully completed a flight to the Chersky Airport near the settlement of Chersky in the Republic of Sakha, located in the Arctic Circle.

The initial test flight took place with departure from Yakutsk. This is the first instance of a turbojet type aircraft landing at this airport since the mid-2000s. Previously UTair-Cargo performed regularly flights to the area with An-26 aircraft.

The An-74, suitable for flight operations in adverse weather conditions and landing on unpaved airfields, brought 7 tons of cargo, including foodstuffs, equipment and other goods from Yakutsk to the village. Medical supplies for the Nizhnekolymsk Central District Hospital were also among the cargo. On the return flight fish was taken as cargo.

Currently, the UTair-Cargo is in negotiation with local authorities and businesses about launch of a regular flight program including basing a An-74 aircraft at the Chersky Airport full time.

The Chersky settlement is located in the extreme north-east of Yakutia. The nearest large city - Yakutsk – is 1920 km away. Apart from the air route in the summer, the only link to the settlement is by sea.

UTair Cargo has been a successful operator on the international air cargo market since 1997. The division’s fleet consists of 52 aircraft of various types, including Antonov-74, 26 and 2 type aircraft. UTair-Cargo performs charter cargo and passenger flights in Russia and abroad and regular passenger transportation on regional routes.