OREANDA-NEWS. October 31, 2011. UTair Aviation received the first AS350 B3 helicopter from Eurocopter, the first of an expected 20 helicopters built to specification and delivered by Eurocopter. The AS350 B3s are, defined by their outstanding flight and technical characteristics, high thrust to weight ratio, outstanding safety record and low operational costs.

Additional helicopters from the contract will be delivered in the advanced AS350 B3e modification. UTair will be the launch operator of these helicopters in Russia.

According to the contract, UTair will receive a total of 20 Eurocopter helicopters before May 2013, including six twin-engine AS355 NP.

UTair Aviation is the leading helicopter operator in the world in terms of transport capacity and fleet size, with more than 330 domestic and foreign made helicopters in operation. UTair Airlines is among the top three passenger airlines in Russia, Eastern Europe, the Baltic States and CIS countries.