The annual joint Russian Hour conference took place on March 7, 2011 during Heli-Expo in Orlando, Florida.

The Russian Hour has already become a tradition at the largest American helicopter show – a press conference with the participation of the heads of the Russian helicopter sector companies and the American media. The conference presents an opportunity for reporters of industry publications to talk directly to Russian newsmakers and gain information about the activities, achievements, and plans of the Russian helicopter industry.

Not only state officials and industry representatives attended the Russian Hour, but also heads of four of Russia’s leading helicopter operators – UTair, Vertical-T, Panh Helicopters, and Aviashelf.

In describing the achievements of UTair’s helicopter unit, Mamed Kasumov said that “UTair Aviation will continue as a global operator and will offer not only Russian-build, but also Western-build helicopters.” The company already operates several Eurocopters and signed a contract at Heli-Expo to buy fifteen more EC 175s. Kasumov also emphasized that the company currently conducts negotiations with AgustaWestland and Robinson Helicopter. UTair has subdivisions in Europe, South Africa, India, and Peru. Its annual revenues are in excess of USD 1.5 billion.

Vertical-T is also a global operator. According to deputy director Lyudmila Baraney, the company is currently targeting opportunities in Alaska, Australia, Indonesia, and Latin America. The company has a fleet of 25 rotorcrafts, including Mi-26’s. Vertical-T established a good reputation for itself in the U.S. after rescuing an American CH-47 Chinook and a Super Puma shot down in Afghanistan. “We got a personal thank you note from President Obama after the Chinook rescue,” Baraney said.

Viktor Aksyutin, general director of Aviashelf, was also at the presentation. His company, formed in 1998 in order to support gas projects on Sakhalin Island on Russia’s east coast, also provides transportation services to remote regions and performs emergency medical services, search and rescue operations, and takes on forest firefighting missions. Aviashelf operates Mi-8MTV-1 and Mi-8t helicopters. The major shareholder of the company is the Bristow Group.

Oleg Khudolenko, deputy director of Panh Helicopters talked about the problems of the Russian legal system in the area of aviation. He underscored the need of amending existing regulations and enacting new laws. Mr. Khudolenko also suggested to western helicopter manufacturers planning to sell their rotorcrafts in Russia to set up maintenance and service centers in the country.

European helicopter manufacturers are already working on it. At the press conference, Giuseppe Orsi, chief executive officer of AgustaWestland was given the Helicopter Industry Association’s annual medal for his contributions to the Russian helicopter industry. In particular, it was given to him for setting up the joint-production facility that AgustaWestland established with Oboronprom to build AW139 helicopters.

The general director of Oboronprom Andrey Reus personally took part in the Russian Hour. The factory launch date is scheduled for next summer. “We are not the only ones to possess the secret of competiveness, but we are always open for collaboration,” said Orsi accepting the award. “The Russian market is very important for us, and we are planning to start producing our “Tsar Jewel” – the AW139 at the joint venture in Russia.”

Mikhail Farikh from Moscow talked about a private pilot’s perspective on helicopter flying in Russia. “After the Soviet Union dissolved, some airports were closed. We have nine time zones and only 338 airports,” he said, pointing out the insufficient number of airports. “That’s why I think the Russian market is wide open for helicopters.”

Representatives of different U.S. companies and members of the media expressed a desire to hold the Russian Hour at Heli-Expo 2012 in an enlarged format. The conference next year will feature a roundtable, where Russian and American officials and industry experts could discuss key issues and main prospects for Russian-American cooperation in the helicopter industry.

The Russian Hour-2012 is to be held during Heli-Expo 2012, February 11-14, in Dallas, Texas.

Helicopter Industry

Association of Russia

www.helicopter.su

+7 (495) 958-94-94