OREANDA-NEWS. UTair Aviation has been recognized with the Best Corporate Publishing Award established by the Russian Association of Communication Directors and Corporate Publishing for the second year in a row. Its chronicle UTair – Milestones was voted winner in the In-House Book category.

The unique publication tells the history of aviation in the Russian North which began in 1914 when the first aircraft soared through the sky over Tobolsk. The narration gets most detailed from year 1967 when the Order of the Red Banner of Labour of Tyumen Civil Aviation Administration, the UTair predecessor, was established. The Tyumen Civil Aviation Administration made significant contribution to the formation and development of the fuel and energy network of Western Siberia, securing the country's stable development for the many years.

In the 1980s the Tyumen Civil Aviation Administration, the largest Aviation Administration in Russia, became the first organization to launch operations with Mil Mi-10K and Mi-26 rotorcraft, with modifications of Mi-8 helicopters, and Ilyushin-76 aircraft. During these years the organization reached its peak, comprising 16 air squadrons, nearly 1,000 aircraft and 25,300 employees. In 1989 the Tyumen Civil Aviation Administration accounted for 25% of total passengers transported by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

The book proceeds to tell the story of the company’s activities in the 1990s when the airline, despite the difficult times, managed to regain its positions and to become one of the leading airlines in Russia by number of passengers transported and the world’s largest helicopter operator.

Writing for UTair – Milestones took eight years and involved interviews with aviation veterans and research in archives and museums. UTair has gifted copies of the book to UTair veterans and young professionals.

“UTair – Milestones tells stories of prominent aviators who contributed to the development of Russian civil aviation and pioneered aviation routes in the harsh geographic and weather conditions of Western Siberia, routes that greatly impacted the economic development of Russia,” said UTair General Director Andrey Martirosov. “We are proud that this chronicle was deservingly recognized by the expert community.”

The Russian Association of Communication Directors and Corporate Publishing (AKMR) is the founder and organizer of industry wide events in the field of communication and in-house media in Russia and abroad. AKRM aims to create a unified platform for executives in communications, marketing and corporate culture to facilitate the exchange of experience in corporate and external communications, positioning and corporate promotional activities.

UTair Aviation is the core enterprise of UTair Group consisting of companies performing aircraft operations with fixed and rotary wing aircraft as well as enterprises offering MRO, personnel training, flight services and air transportation sales services. The Group includes UTair-Express, UTair – Helicopter Services, Turuhan, Vostok Airlines, Helisur, UTair Europe, UTair South Africa, UTair India, TS-Technik, UTair-Engineering, Ural Aviation Services, UTG and other enterprises. In 2014 UTair Group aircraft transported 11,204,598 passengers to more than 110 destinations, including 50 unique destinations.