KHANTY-MANSIYSK. Feb 6 (Interfax) - In light of the current geopolitical situation, JSC Utair-Helicopter Services is reducing the number of its helicopters providing air escorts to United Nations peacekeeping missions, the company's president Alexei Vinogradov said.
"The ongoing developments are negatively impacting our operations abroad. This has also affected our cooperation with the UN. Our presence, the size of our fleet and our participation in this program is being gradually scaled down," Vinogradov said in Khanty-Mansiysk on Monday on the occasion of the centenary of Russian civil aviation.
Hopefully, "a certain amount of work with the UN will be maintained in the short term," he said.
"The aircraft and personnel that are being freed up will be transferred to Russia, and we will use them in Russian programs," he added.
Utair-Helicopter Services is the Utair group's largest helicopter company and one of the world's leaders in this sector. The operator's fleet includes almost 200 helicopters, such as Mil Mi-26s, Mi-8s, Kamov Ka-32, AS 350s, and AS 355s.
The Utair Group consists of the Utair passenger airline, helicopter transport companies, aircraft repair and maintenance companies, and the Surgut and Ust-Kut airports.