Russian Helicopters has delivered to Kamchatka and the Nenets Autonomous District a batch of new Mi-8MTV-1 helicopters manufactured at the Kazan Helicopter Plant under a contract with the State Transport Leasing Company (GTLK). The machines were transferred under the programme of preferential leasing of domestic aircraft, the holding’s press service said.
The Mi-8MTV-1s can be equipped with two additional external fuel tanks, which increases their range up to 1050 km without refuelling, which is especially important for operations in regions with long routes. The helicopters can be equipped with medical modules for sanitary flights, as well as improved lighting systems for flights in limited visibility conditions.
Yuri Bezdudny, Governor of the Nenets Autonomous District, noted that the helicopters are needed for passenger, cargo, sanitary and rotational flights, as well as for search operations and extinguishing landscape fires. The machines play an important role in rescuing seafarers on the Northern Sea Route.
The Mi-8MTV-1 are capable of operating in a wide variety of climatic conditions at temperatures ranging from -50 to +50 degrees Celsius, and can operate from unequipped sites with autonomous basing. This versatility allows them to be used both in the Far North, southern latitudes and high mountains.
The Mi-8MTV-1 for the Nenets Autonomous District is the third machine of this type to be received by the Naryan-Mar United Air Detachment in 2023-2024. Another helicopter went to Kamchatka, where it will perform a wide range of tasks in mountainous terrain, including the promotion of regional tourism.
Evgeny Dietrich, Head of GTLK, commented on the high demand for Mi-8 helicopters and noted that the company is recording significant interest in these helicopters and is considering the possibility of expanding preferential leasing programmes to meet the growing demand.
