Four Mi-8 helicopters delivered to Russian provinces

One of the new aircraft ended up in Amur Region (Amur Region Administration)

Four factory-new Mil Mi-8 rotorcraft have recently been delivered to several operators across Russia, Russian Helicopters reports. The aircraft went to the Republic of Komi, Nenets Autonomous District, Pskov Region, and Amur Region.

Komi and Nenets Autonomous District each received a Mi-8MTV-1s equipped with a medevac module, both delivered by State Transport Leasing Company (GTLK).

The Komi helicopter will be operated by Komiaviatrans, whose CEO Alexander Ponomaryov says this is the first all-new helicopter in the carroer’s fleet in the past 24 years. The rotorcraft will be based at Ukhta airport, and will be serving the regional emergencies medical center. A GTLK representative told Russian Aviation Insider that the region might receive another helicopter next year.

GTLK plans to deliver six more Mi-8s shortly under the government program to develop regional medevac aviation.

The other two helicopters were delivered under separate contracts. The Pskov regional government reports that the rotorcraft was provided by RVS Holding in accordance with a government agreement. RVS Holding failed to comment when requested. This is the second medevac helicopter delivered to the region recently; the first one, a Kazan Helicopters Ansat, was provided by GTLK and is operated by Russian Helicopter Systems.

According to a source in the Amur Region administration, the Mi-8 was leased using budget funds, and came from Omsk Civil Aviation Plant. The rotorcraft will be used to fight forest fires and provide emergency support to locals residents, as well as for passenger transportation, and other emergency operations. Registered RA-24733, it was formerly operated by now-bankrupt operator Tomsk Avia.

Yevgeniy Kutukov, head of the Amur Region aviation division to which the helicopter was delivered, says the company’s fleet includes 11 Antonov An-2 and TVS-2MS aircraft, as well as six Mi-8T helicopters. According to the Federal Air Transport Agency, the operator officially has five An-2s, two TVS-2MSs, and two Mi-8Ts. The region’s most recently delivered helicopter was purchased in 2010.