 Wednesday, 16 November 2011 13:52
The contract between the Russian rotorcraft industry holding company Russian Helicopters, a part of United Industrial Corporation Oboronprom, and the French engine-building corporation Turbomeca for the making and certification of Arrius 2G1 engines built to Russian requirements was signed in January 2009 in Moscow. Certification testing of the Arrius 2G1 engine was successfully completed in accordance with the Ka-226T launch programme. The Ka-226T is the newest coaxial-rotor helicopter, equipped with two Arrius 2G1 turboshaft engines built by the French company Turbomeca, as well as the Russian VR-226N reductor. As of today this is the first time an Arrius 2G1 engine was installed on a coaxial helicopter. The solution offers the machine unprecedented flight safety: even with one engine it has the necessary maneuver output of 750 hp. Modern powertrains alongside the special crash-proof fuel system and shock-absorbing chairs make this helicopter one of the most ecological and safe choices in its class. The qualities of the Ka-226T rotor system, altitude, and maneuverability were proved during flight tests. One of the most important achievements of the Ka-226T, making it stand out from the competitors, is the practical ceiling of 7300 metres. The outstanding characteristics of the Ka-226T have also been a winning quality in mountainous regions and high-temperature climates, over sea and in highly congested cities, notwithstanding strong winds. The rotorcraft does not demand hangarage and is capable of working day and night in adverse weather, under varying winds and in temperatures from -50° to +50°С and 0…100% humidity. Landing gear design is ample to allow unprepared runway landing and operations from hard top helipads, including oil and gas rigs, as well as ground with 4 kgs/km² density. The Ka-226T was developed by Kamov JSC, and is now manufactured by Kumertau Aviation Production Enterprise (a part of Russian Helicopters). The helicopter has a MTOW of 3.6 tons with a useful load of 1.5 tons. The maximum speed is 250 km/h, and up to 8 people, including the pilot, can be accommodated on board. Varying cabin modules of the Ka-226T make one helicopter useful for various missions, including cargo loading, passenger transportation, patrol, construction, loading-unloading, medevac, and firefighting, as well as search and rescue and evacuation operations, without cutting down on the helicopter’s flight characteristics. Wednesday, 16 November 2011 01:35
Today, November 15th, the transfer of shares between Russian Technologies State Corporation and Aeroflot has been finalized. Aeroflot has received 52.156% of Vladivostok Avia, 51% of Saratov Airlines, 100% of SAT (Sakhalin) Airlines, 75% (minus 1 share) of Rossiya Airlines, and 100% of Orenburg Airlines in exchange for 3.55% of the Aeroflot shares with Russian Technologies. Aeroflot further remarks that they expect to own 45.5% of the air travel market in Russia. This amount currently is around 20-25%. Thursday, 10 November 2011 16:08
The first batch of Mi-17V-5 helicopters have been delivered to the Indian side under the contract signed by Rosoboronexport JSC in December 2008 during the visit to India of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. The helicopters are manufactured by Kazan Helicopters, a subsidiary of the Russian Helicopters holding company. India is considered Russia’s a strategic partner in development and delivery of rotorcraft for defence purposes as well as state and private operators. Joint Russian-Indian projects to deliver new helicopters, spares, and aviation equipment are under way. As of 2011 the Indian Air Force operates over 200 Mi-8/17 type medium rotorcraft of Russian make. The Mi-17V-5 is the most up-to-date modification of the Mi-17. The helicopters being delivered are manufactured to the customer’s specification and are unique in their configuration. Each helicopter is equipped with a KNEI-8 avionics suite. It replaced a number of systems indicators, resulting in a very clear and intuitive cockpit with four large multi-functional displays that are easy to read and help reduce pilot fatigue. This avionics suite also helps cut down pre-flight inspection time, displaying all systems data and alerting crew when necessary. As of today, Kazan Helicopters and Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant, also a subsidiary of Russian Helicopters, have both delivered over 11 thousand rotorcraft of the Mi-8/17 family to 110 countries worldwide. Thursday, 10 November 2011 13:56
Aeroflot Russian Airlines puts its third Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft (SSJ100) in operation. The airliner, named after the famous Aeroflot pilot Ivan Orlovets, performed its first scheduled flight SU713/714 on route Moscow – Nizhny Novgorod – Moscow. The Sukhoi Superjet 100 MSN 95011 was delivered to Aeroflot under contract with the VEB-Leasing JSC on financial lease. The delivered aircraft is designed to carry 87 passengers in a two-class layout (12 – business class and 75 – in economy class). Aeroflot ordered 30 SSJ100 aircraft in total. “We are pleased that the intensive operation of the SSJ100 by Aeroflot confirms the superior operational performance of our aircraft. This was achieved due to the efficient activity of Aeroflot flight and technical staff, as well as the proper support by our company and our partner SuperJet International. We see that the SSJ100 is becoming an excellent tool for the development of the Aeroflot regional network. We will do our best to make sure that the growing fleet of SSJ100 meets the expectations of the airline”, noted Vladimir Prisyazhnyuk, President of Sukhoi Civil Aircraft. Aeroflot currently operates three SSJ100 aircraft serving routes from Moscow to St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg, Ufa, Astrakhan, Chelyabinsk, Kazan and Minsk. In the mid of November these aircraft will also fly on international routes starting with flight to Oslo. By November 6, the two SSJ100 in service with Aeroflot totalized 824 flights and over 1,293 hours. Aeroflot operations confirm that the aircraft perfectly match their requirements in terms of high frequency departures on regional routes. This delivery represents the fourth SSJ100 in service with Armavia (1) and Aeroflot (3). Thursday, 10 November 2011 13:27
From December 30, S7 Airlines will start regular flights to the Italian cities of Bergamo and Torino with Airbus A319 aircraft that accomodates 128 passengers. Both destinations will be served weekly on Saturday. First flight to Torino will be operated on Friday 30 December, and the first flight to Torino will be operated on January 2. After these two initial flights the schedule will be as below. Moscow-Bergamo S7-601 DME 10:55 - 11:35 BGY, A319, Sat, from 7-JAN-2012 Moscow-Turin S7-605 DME 12:00 - 13:00 TRN, A319, Sat, from 7-JAN-2012 Tuesday, 08 November 2011 12:44
Transaero, one of Russia's largest airlines, has signed a deal with U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing to buy four Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental airliners for $1.3 billion at catalog prices, Transaero General Director Olga Pleshakova announced Tuesday. The catalog price for each Boeing 747-8I, which will be delivered in a high seat configuration, is $330 million. Whether Transaero has paid this amount remains to be seen as often discounts are awarded for various reasons such as launch customer in a certain region and loyalty. The deal would make Transaero the first airline in Russia, the CIS and East European countries to operate the long-haul wide-body Boeing-747-8I. In late October, Transaero signed a $1.5 billion deal with the European Airbus consortium to buy four A380 aircraft. Deliveries will start from the fourth quarter of 2015. Tuesday, 08 November 2011 00:21
From November 14th Rusline will open a new flight between Petrozavodsk and Helsinki. The flight will be operated 6 times per week with Bombardier CRJ aircraft. The flight time on this route is 1:00 hour. Petrozavodsk-Helsinki Helsinki-Petrozavodsk Saturday, 05 November 2011 21:29
Between the first of January and today 32 Air Operator Certificates (AOCs) were cancelled in Russia. There were observed two types of cancellations. First, because some airlines have send a written statement to the aviation authorities that the airline had stopped operating, and the second reason is because Russian Federal Aviation authorities have withdrawn certificates due to non-conformity with the rules of the Russian Aviation Authorities. From the above mentioned 32 cancelled AOCs, 9 were cancelled by request of the operator. The AOCs of the remaining 23 airlines were all cancelled because the airlines did not pass the safety inspections of their aircraft by the aviation authorities. Among these 23 airlines are RusAir, YakService, Kavminvodyavia, Region-Avia, all four airlines known even abroad. The 19 remaining airlines that lost their AOCs were so small that even the majority of Russians did not known them. Airlines like Urayavia, Ryazan air Transport Enterprise, Aerostarz, Lukiaviatrans, Aviaenergo do not even ring bells abroad. But what is causing the rapid shrinking of the number of Russian airlines? This is caused by several reasons. First, the vast majority of airlines that lost their AOCs (either voluntarily or by government act) operated old aircraft from famous Russian aircraft manufactures like Antonov, Tupolev, Ilyushin. Whereas there is no proof these aircraft are less capable (it might be even argued these aircraft are better suited for harsh climate conditions) than its counterparts like Boeing and Airbus they have one thing in common, and that is their large use of kerosene. In the last years we’ve seen the oil price (and thus the kerosene price) increase to record heights. The troubled airlines as well have another characteristic in common, and that is their small fleet. There was hardly an opportunity for them to benefit from any scale economies. Hard economic times (high fuel price, thirsty aircraft) might have led to airlines saving on maintenance, salaries and safety. Currently, about 128 airlines are registered in Russia and have valid Air Operator Certificates. This number is already down from 168 in July 2010, a reduction of 25% in the number of airlines in 15 months. Vitaly Savelyev, CEO of Aeroflot said in April 2010 that Russia needs only about 30 to 35 airlines. It is expected by this website, that there will remain 4 large national airlines (Aeroflot, Transaero, UTair and S7 Airlines). These four airlines serve each their unique markets and are profitable. The Russian passenger numbers have increased this year so far with 17%. There is growth in the market, and the number of airlines is decreasing. The five largest Russian airlines (Aeroflot, Transaero, UTair, S7 Airlines, Rossiya) have grown this year 21%, performing better than all the other 124 airlines (except Ural Airlines, Kuban Airlines and North Wind). The interesting part however does not lay at the top-4 Russian airlines, and neither at the smallest airlines (which most likely will either stop very soon due to various reasons (bankruptcy, safety issues, government intervention), or are so profitable that they will be purchased by one of the top-4). The real interesting part of Russian Aviation lays at the airlines right under the top-4, so in short airline number 5 till 35. The top-10 consists further of Rossiya (5th), Orenair (6th), Ural Airlines (7th), North-Wind (8th), VIM-Avia (9th), Nordavia (10th). Rossiya and Orenair officially since this year belong to Aeroflot and Nordavia was purchased by Norilsk Nickel that also owns Taimyr Air Company (18th). In addition to Rossiya and Orenair, Vladivostok-Avia (12th), Donavia (17th), Kavminvodyavia (22th), Saratov Airlines (25th) were all obtained by Aeroflot, by government act. Skyexpress, the first low-cost carrier of Russia operating since 2007 stopped operations on October 29th, leaving the fleet, brand and some personnel to Kuban Airlines. The second low-cost airline of Russia, Avianova ceased operations due to financial problems and internal management issues. Concluding, the Russian Airlines Industry thus far this year has been a battlefield, and this will continue for at least several years. The problem however is the essential air transportation in the remote parts of Russia. The government has to serve its citizens by safety first, and this does include vital air transportation to remote areas. How these will be operated in some years remains to be seen. The large airlines have no interest in obtaining small suitable aircraft to operate vital (read thin) routes, subsidies will have to remain to make airlines interested in operating these routes. UTair with its rather large fleet of well maintained turboprop (ATR 42/72, Antonov 24) aircraft might be one of the winners in the domestic market of Russian Airline consolidation as Aeroflot, Transaero and S7 Airlines do not have any aircraft in their fleet smaller than the Antonov-148 (Aeroflot via its Rossiya subsidiary), Boeing 737-500 (Transaero), and Airbus A319 (S7 Airlines).
Saturday, 05 November 2011 00:56
S7 Airlines has applied at the Russian ministry of Transport for the permission to start flights between Moscow and Valencia (Spain). S7 had particular plans to start regular operations on this route, however Valencia was not in the list of destinations in Spain from where flights are allowed to from Russia. According to a letter of Raúl Medina Caballero, the deputy director of air transport from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of Spain, Valencia has now been included from the end of October in the list of points of destination of the Russian designated airlines and S7 is granted the permission to open flights between Moscow and Valencia. In its request S7, as well known as Sibir, motivated that the flight will allow Russian citizens to visit Spain for the purpose of tourism and leisure, and at the same time it will give an additional profit for the tourist business in Spain. Together with Valencia the following cities are in this particular list: Madrid, Barcelona, Alicante, Malaga, Gerona, Reus, Tenerife, Vitoria and Palma de Mallorca. Other cities are subject to an agreement between the Aviation Authorities of both Spain and Russia. Friday, 04 November 2011 18:30
On November 1, 2011, at an official opening ceremony at Pulkovo airport, Emirates international airline introduced its new route of Dubai – St. Petersburg – Dubai. The ceremony began with honoring of the first passenger to check in with the airline. The lucky traveler received presents both from the airport and the airline. The first EK137 flight by Emirates that landed at 17:15 was welcomed by the traditional "water arch". After landing, the top-ranking delegation consisting of managers of airlines, representatives of the business community of Dubai and foreign mass media took part in a reception to honor of the first flight. "We did a great job in preparing for the reception and servicing of flights by Emirates. The airline provides services up to the highest international standards. The new flights by one of the largest airlines in the world to the northern capital will enhance the route network of Pulkovo airport, allowing our passengers to enjoy traveling with Emirates all over the world", – said Sergey Emdin, CEO of the Northern Capital Gateway. Tickets for the first flight from St. Petersburg to Dubai were purchased in the UAE, Austria, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Hong Kong, Latvia and the Philippines. "The Russian Union of Travel Industry took an active part in multilateral talks on flights by Emirates and we are convinced that the introduction of flights to St. Petersburg will significantly contribute to the development of the tourism market of our city", – noted Sergey Korneev, Vice President of the Russian Union of Travel Industry and Director of its Northwest Regional Branch. Flights from Dubai to St Petersburg will be serviced by wide-body Airbus A340-300 and A330-200 airliners. Connections to over 100 destinations of the airline’s global route network will allow passengers to travel to the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia, Australia and Oceania. Emirates EK138 flight will depart daily from St. Petersburg at 18:45, landing in Dubai at 00:40 on the next day. The return flight of EK137 will depart from Dubai at 10:40, landing in the northern capital at 17:15. Friday, 04 November 2011 15:00
PAK FA performed its maiden flight on January 29, 2010, in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. In the beginning of March, 2011, the second fighter took into the skies. Today, both aircraft participate in ground and flight test trials. The aircraft was presented to the public for the first time on August 17, 2011 at MAKS-2011, International Aviation and Space Salon, in Zhukovsky. The PAK FA program includes creation of the fighter, setting up its serial production and introduction into service by the Russian Air Force. This will enable to enhance the combat capabilities of the Russian Air Force. This program is of top priority for Sukhoi and UAC, as it provides for development and introduction of materials, element base and technologies of high innovative potential for the aviation industry and the economy of the country, as well as for development of new generation projects. Compared with the previous-generation fighters, PAK FA has a number of unique features combining functions of fighter and strike-fighter aircraft. The fifth-generation jet is equipped with new avionics with integrated function of "electronic pilot" and next-generation radar with phased antenna array. This equipment reduces the pilot's workload and helps him concentrate on tactical objectives. Onboard equipment of the new jet allows real-time data exchange with ground control systems and other aircraft. The use of composites and innovative technologies, jet's airframe configuration and measures on reducing the engine's visibility provide very low level of radar, optical and infrared visibility. This significantly improves combat effectiveness against air and ground targets at any time of the day in both visible and instrument meteorological conditions. Friday, 04 November 2011 11:22
Tests performed at TsAGI (Central Aerohydrodynamics Institute in Zhukovksy, Moscow) at the end of October 2011 confirmed the static strength of the SSJ100 fuselage in accordance with aviation rules CS-25 (Certification Specifications – Large Airplanes) of EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency). In the frame of additional certification static tests, the cabin of the SSJ100 prototype MSN 95002 was loaded with extra internal pressure. The fuselage withstood the ultimate pressure load which nearly doubled the operational one. Tests confirmed the SSJ100 expected strenght performance. Namely, the aircraft proved to meet the additional requirements of EASA in terms of static strength. “The results granted to timely prepare the final report on the EASA certification program. The European certification will allow not only to start the commercial operations of the SSJ100 by western airlines, but also to boost the SSJ100 sales worldwide”, – said Sukhoi Civil Aircraft first Vice-president for design and certification Igor Vinogradov. “These tests represent a great milestone, both in terms of the SSJ100 aircraft development, and new methods of static strength testing. For these specific tests a new dedicated experimental facility was established in TsAGI and the SSJ100 fuselage was equipped with special explosive protection system”, – said TsAGI Deputy Director General Mikhail Zichenkov. Friday, 04 November 2011 00:59
Aeroflot Russian Airlines has applied for several route permissions and has received for the following routes government approval. To Armenia To Cyprus To Kyrgyzstan To Lithuania To Poland To Uzbekistan To Ukraine Aeroflot received an additional weekly frequency on the Moscow - Samarkand route (from 6 to 7 weekly), and lost 2 weekly route permissions on the Moscow - Bishkek route (from 14 to 12 weekly). Route permits lost Aeroflot has lost the following route permits due to not operating the routes and other airlines applying for these routes: Saint Petersburg - Bishkek, 4 weekly Friday, 04 November 2011 00:12
During the month of October, Transaero Airlines has applied for several new routes, and received government approval for the below flights. To China To South-Africa To Cyprus Moscow - Ho Chi Minh - The permitted frequency has been increased from 2 to 4 weekly. The following route applications by Transaero were refused: Refused To Cyprus Thursday, 03 November 2011 11:50
Aeroflot Russian Airlines summed up the work of September and the first nine months of 2011. In September 2011 Aeroflot passenger traffic increased with 19.7% compared to September 2010, ahead of the growth rate of the Russian aviation industry (16.6%), and amounted to 3,974.8 million passenger-kilometers. On international routes the passenger output increased in september by 18.9% compared with the same period last year and amounted to 2,647.9 million passenger-kilometers. Passenger traffic on domestic routes amounted to 1,326.9 million passenger-kilometers, which is 21.5% higher than in September 2010. Loadfactor was 81.3% in the ninth month of 2011 and increased by 0.6 percentage points compared to September 2010. On international routes the number of transported passengers increased by 22.3% in september 2011 and totalled 834 thousand passengers. On domestic routes Aeroflot carried 529 thousand passengers in september 2011, a 35.8% increase. In the first nine months of 2011 Aeroflot carried 10.541.000 passengers, had a total passenger output of 31,552 million passenger-kilometers. The load factor was 78.4% (+0.4% compared with the same period in 2010). |
New height of safety with new KA-226T engine certified
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has certified the Arrius 2G1 turboshaft engine made by French company Turbomeca (Safran Group), installed on the Russian light Ka-226T helicopter. Engine cer...
Aeroflot now owns Vladivostok Avia, Saratov Airlines, Sakhalin Airlines, Rossiya and Orenburg Airlines
Today, November 15th, the transfer of shares between Russian Technologies State Corporation and Aeroflot has been finalized. Aeroflot has received 52.156% of Vladivostok Avia, 51% of Saratov Ai...
First Batch Of Mi-17V-5 Helicopters Delivered to India Under 80 Units Order
The first batch of Mi-17V-5 helicopters have been delivered to the Indian side under the contract signed by Rosoboronexport JSC in December 2008 during the visit to India of Russian President Dmitry...
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New height of safety with new KA-226T engine certified
Wednesday, 16 November 2011 13:52 -
Aeroflot now owns Vladivostok Avia, Saratov Airlines, Sakhalin Airlines, Rossiya and Orenburg Airlines
Wednesday, 16 November 2011 01:35 -
First Batch Of Mi-17V-5 Helicopters Delivered to India Under 80 Units Order
Thursday, 10 November 2011 16:08
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has certified the Arrius 2G1 turboshaft engine made by French company Turbomeca (Safran Group), installed on the Russian light Ka-226T helicopter. Engine certification achieved end-October 2011 allows mass operation of the engine and remains an important milestone in the multi-role Ka-226T helicopter programme.
Yesterday, the Advanced Tactical Frontline Fighter (PAK FA) flight testing program has reached an important milestone – completion of 100 flights. At present, two fighters are involved in the flight test trials.