During the International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS-2019, Russian Helicopters Holding Company (part of RostecState Corporation), Gazprombank Leasing and Norilsk Avia(part of Norilsk Nickel group) signed a contract to supply 10 multipurpose Mi-8AMT helicopters.
The helicopters are to be built at the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant, which is part of Russian Helicopters Holding Company. The rotorcraft are scheduled for delivery in 2020-2024.
"It's the first time that we signed a lease agreement with Gazprombank Leasing, and we are very excited about it. We look forward to a long and fruitful cooperation," noted Director Generalof Russian Helicopters Holding Company Andrey Boginsky. "The first two Mi-8AMT will be delivered to Norilsk next March and will join the Norilsk Avia fleet. Mi-8AMT are great machines belonging to the famous Mi-8/17 family. They are equipped with modern avionics and are perfectly suited for operating in harsh climatic conditions of the Far North, from Taimyr tundra to the islands of the Arctic Ocean."
"We are pleased to contribute to the development of transport infrastructure of the country and, in particular, the establishment of helicopter service in remote areas, where other forms of transportation proved to be unprofitable. I am sure that the Russian Helicopters' machines, which are well proven in the harsh operating conditions, will significantly improve the quality of passenger service," said Alexey Belous, deputy chairman of the Gazprombank Management Board. "To update the fleet, Norilsk Avia has chosen a convenient tool, that is, leasing, the use of which becomes even more profitable in combination with targeted subsidy programs of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. For Gazprombank, this transaction has become the first one at thehelicopters leasing market, and we plan to continue developing this promising direction."
"Norilsk Avia is the only helicopter company on the Taimyr Peninsula that is able to meet the region's needs in aviation services. Today the carrier operates helicopters of the Mi-8 type, which not only provide transportation for production needs of the company, but are used for rapid response to emergencies, and perform an important social function providing sanitary flights and passenger transportation of the Far North natives to remote settlements," said Norilsk Nickel state secretary and Vice-President Dmitry Pristanskov. "New helicopters will allow Norilsk Avia to upgrade the existing aircraft fleet, average age of the machines in which is 32 years. For Norilsk Nickel, it is a contribution to improving transportation safety in the Far North conditions and a more robust sustainable production of all group's enterprises".
