The Kazan Helicopter Plant, a subsidiary of the Russian Helicopters holding company, has handed over five Mi-8MTV-1 helicopters to the State Transport Leasing Company (GTLK). They will be used by several operators in different regions of Russia.

Two Mi-8MTV-1 helicopters will replenish the aircraft fleet of the Converse Avia Aviation Company in the Tver region. Two more will go to the PANH airline in the Krasnodar territory, while one of the helicopters is intended for the AeroGeo airline and will go to Krasnoyarsk.

The transferred Mi-8MTV-1 helicopters are multipurpose; in the cabins there are prepared places for the installation of medical modules, modifications have been made to equip the aircraft with additional fuel tanks, and 22 passenger seats are provided.

“Before the end of 2020, Kazan Helicopter Plant will supply GTLK with 16 Mi-8MTV-1s and four Ansats. I would like to note that the demand for helicopters of the Mi-8/17 family remains high among operators. Thus, Kazan Helicopter's three-year production plan indicates loading by helicopters of this series,” comments MD of the Kazan Helicopter Plant Yuri Pustovgarov.

Under a previous contract with GTLK, 16 Mi-8MTV-1 and 18 Ansat helicopters manufactured by the Kazan plant were delivered in 2017 and 2018. In 2019, the State Transport Leasing Company received seven Ansat helicopters with medical modules, of which four were supplied to SKOL Airlines and three were transferred to Russian Helicopter Systems.

The Mi-8MTV-1 family can be used in almost all climates. The design and equipment allows it to be operated autonomously on unequipped sites. The helicopter can be equipped with an external sling for the transportation of bulky cargo.