Three Mi-171A3 helicopters have entered operational service with Gazprom, with the aircraft departing for Sakhalin after being formally accepted by the company on 10 June. The delivery marks the first operational deployment of a helicopter developed specifically for Russia’s offshore oil and gas sector.
The Mi-171A3 was designed to meet offshore transport requirements established by the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP), incorporating a range of safety features for extended overwater operations. These include an emergency flotation system certified for Sea State 5 conditions, a crashworthy fuel system, and two life rafts accommodating up to 22 occupants each. The helicopter is also equipped with four automatically deployed flotation bags positioned in the forward and aft sections of the airframe.
The type received certification from Rosaviatsiya in March 2026 following a flight-test and evaluation programme conducted across multiple operating environments. Testing included operations in the mountainous regions of Kabardino-Balkaria, winter trials near Salekhard, and evaluations from an offshore drilling platform in the Caspian Sea. Certification activities also included assessments of emergency procedures, including autorotation following simulated dual-engine failure. Several amendments to the type certificate were subsequently issued to approve the aircraft’s offshore operating configuration.
The helicopter’s avionics suite supports instrument flight rules (IFR) operations and approaches to elevated offshore platforms, capabilities intended to support transport missions in Arctic and Far Eastern operating areas. The three aircraft delivered to Gazprom were manufactured by the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant under a leasing agreement arranged through NatsPromLeasing-Invest.
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