Russian carrier UTair Aviation has taken delivery of its first Airbus aircraft. The brand-new A321 was handed over at a ceremony held at the European manufacturer’s facility at Finkenwerder Airport in Hamburg, Germany this week and is the first of a firm order for 20 A321s signed by UTair in July 2012. The deal, agreed at the Farnborough Air Show remains the largest single order for this type from a Russian carrier.
UTair has developed a mix fleet concept and has sourced short-haul equipment from Airbus and Boeing to support its scheduled and charter requirements. Alongside the A320 Family and Boeing 737 Classic and Next-Generation aircraft, it operates ATR turboporps and Bombardier CRJ200 jets on regional routes in Russia and Ukraine and Boeing 757 and 767s on predominantly charter services. It also continues to operate a small number of soviet-era Tupolev Tu-154s on domestic routes and is a planned customer for the new Sukhoi SuperJet.
The A321s, powered by CFM International CFM56 engines, will feature a single-class cabin layout seating 220 passengers to further develop the carrier’s high density route network, but more than likely replace the 757-200s on charter routes. Although the airline has received its first A321 no flights using the type are currently displayed in the GDS suggesting the type will initially be solely used to support charter assignments.
“This delivery demonstrates our intention to keep up high growth rates and strengthen our position amongst leading Russian airlines. The A321 is part of our fleet modernisation programme and is fully in line with the company’s strategy on improving service, ensuring high level of reliability and network development,” said Andrey Martirosov, Chief Executive Officer, UTair.
UTair currently provides a wide range of business activities from scheduled and charter passenger operations, cargo services, fixed-wing and helicopters support of the oil and gas industry across Western Siberia and relief operations for the United Nations. It was established under its current form in early 2003 as a joint venture between Khanty Mansiysk District administration (23%), Surgut City administration (19%), Russian shareholders and companies (33%), the Russian Federation (2%), and private foreign investors (20%), but can trace its history back to the formation of the Aeroflot Tyumen Directorate in February 1967 to meet the transport requirements of the fast-growing oil and gas industry undergoing development in Western Siberia. It was more recently known as Tyumenaviatrans Aviation in the wake of the break-up of the Aeroflot organization in the early 1990s.
According to our schedule analysis, UTair was the second largest domestic scheduled carrier in the Russian Federation in 2012 with a 16.8 per cent share of the available seat capacity. This was slightly below flag carrier Aeroflot Russian Airlines (18.5 per cent), but significantly higher than its other local rivals S7 Airlines (11.7 per cent), Transaero (6.8 per cent) and Rossiya Airlines (6.2 per cent).
Related Content
