KrasAvia becomes Russia’s third ATR operator

The Russian carrier will benefit from increased efficiency and higher standards of comfort to support the development of local communities :: KrasAvia

Russia’s KrasAvia started operating its two ATR 72-500 turboprops, the first ATR aircraft ever registered in the country. Owned by the government of Krasnoyarsk region, KrasAvia is an airline based in Krasnoyarsk, the third largest city in Siberia, with a population of approximately 1.1 million people. KrasAvia operates scheduled and charter flights with fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters on regional routes to Russia’s Far North from its Krasnoyarsk hub. The two ATR 72-500 have been purchased second-hand from Swedish lessor Erik Thun and the deal was arranged by Bertrand Lattes Aviation Capital (BLAC).

Air services are crucial to serve the remote regions of Siberia, and their challenging environment requires versatile and reliable aircraft able to take-off and land in extreme cold conditions. The route from Krasnoyarsk to Khatanga, near the Arctic Ocean, is one of the longest scheduled ATR routes (1822km) – a four hour flight.

The 72-seat ATRs will replace carrier’s 43-seat Antonov An-24 and An-26 turboprops, which have reached over 40 years of service.

“Thanks to the ATR 72-500 versatility and modern and spacious cabin, we will continue to support the connectivity needs of the Siberian communities, with increased seat capacity and higher standards of comfort,” Andrey Egorov, General Director of KrasAvia, declared.

The airline is the third ATR operator in Russia, after UTair and NordStar, which respectively operate a fleet of 15 ATR 72-500 and five ATR 42-500.

Currently ranked 25th in Russia’s league table of air passenger numbers, the airline served 147,000 passengers in 2020, 34.9 per cent down on pre-crisis 2019.

KrasAvia is a socially significant public airline in the Krasnoyarsk region that provides regional passenger and cargo air transportation. Established in 2007, it operates a fleet comprising of 8 Yak-42Ds, six An-24/26s, three L-410UVP-E20s and 17 Mi-8 helicopters of various modifications.

The main activity is intraregional socially significant flights by planes and helicopters in the Far North of the Krasnoyarsk territory. KrasAvia also carries out charter flights in the interests of customers – large companies in the raw materials sector and other commercial enterprises.