Russian state lessor signs follow-on agreement for large batch of Mi-8MTV-1 helicopters

First rotorcraft under new GTLK pact set to arrive this year.
Russian state leasing company GTLK has signed a follow-on agreement with Russian Helicopters for the supply of 72 Mil Mi-8MTV-1s.

The lessor says it expects the first rotorcraft under the pact to arrive this year from the Kazan helicopter plant.

GTLK had previously reached an agreement for 86 Mi-8s which have been delivered to operators over the course of 2023-26.

It says that the follow-on deal means the total investment will cover more than 150 helicopters.

GTLK says their production is part of an investment project to upgrade the country’s rotorcraft fleet, and is being supported by the Russian ministry of industry and trade.

The lessor puts the total project value at nearly Rb50 billion ($587 million).

Russia’s national welfare fund is financing half of the cost while GTLK will cover the remainder.

“This is a direct continuation of our systematic work,” says the lessor’s chief executive, Mikhail Parnev.

“With the support of the Russian government, through preferential leasing, we are meeting demand for domestically produced equipment, promoting the development of Russian mechanical engineering, and creating the conditions for improving transport connectivity across the country’s regions.”

Mi-8s are used in a diverse range of aerial work, from passenger and cargo transport to medical evacuation, firefighting, construction, and rescue operations.

The MTV-1 variant features enhanced capabilities including higher maximum take-off weight and payload capacity.

State technology firm Rostec’s first deputy general director Vladimir Artyakov says the new rotorcraft will “replace older aircraft being retired from the fleet, which will improve the safety and reliability of air travel”.

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