Helicopter maintenance in the Arctic will be provided by a new Yakutia ASEZ resident
Vostok Air, a new resident of the Yakutia Advanced Special Economic Zone (ASEZ), is organising the Heliport Yakutsk helicopter centre. The enterprise will create a modern aviation technical base for import-substituting service for foreign-made helicopters and will be able to receive aircraft 24 hours a day.
22 August 2022The project is scheduled for commissioning in Q3 2023, with more than 70 units planned to be serviced annually. Under an agreement with the Far East Development Corporation (FEDC), RUB 10 mn will be invested in the project in the first phase.
'The project will carry out operational maintenance of the helicopters: take-off, landing and parking work, as well as preventive daily activities. The plan is to build a multifunctional all-season heliport with a warm hangar, helicopter storage areas and a comfortable waiting area for pilots and passengers. The site will include a fuel depot and a spare parts warehouse, and a Night Start system will be installed to accommodate aircraft around the clock. The facility will have a state-of-the-art certified aircraft maintenance facility to service Robinson, Airbus Helicopters, Bell Helicopter and Leonardo Helicopters helicopters. We also plan to sell and lease helicopters,' said Leonid Aleksandrov, Director General of Vostok Air.
Leonid Aleksandrov has extensive professional experience in aircraft and aircraft engine maintenance and helicopter flight and maintenance. According to him, foreign-made small helicopters have previously been overhauled in the U.S., France and Italy. Spare parts and consumables were also imported from there. 'There is currently no such possibility, so there may be limitations in the supply of spare parts and consumables. We will deal with issues that arise internally,' said the resident.
The main clients of the service company will be companies and private owners of foreign helicopters. To date, 40 vehicles of this type have been registered in Yakutia alone. However, the nearest helicopter service points for foreign-made helicopters are located outside the country. In addition to providing services on its own site, the resident will be able to provide offsite helicopter services in North-East Russia.
In further stages of project development, the investor plans to open a training class for helicopter pilots.
'The President and the Russian Government pay particular attention to the development of the Far East and the Arctic. For Yakutia, where much of the territory has only seasonal accessibility, the development of aviation is vital. The preferential ASEZ regime provides investors with comfortable economic conditions for implementing projects, the opportunity to obtain land and comprehensive support at all stages. Services and facilities of the FEDC, together with tax incentives and preferences, make it possible to open new businesses at an accelerated pace and make their operation profitable for both businesses and people,' said Dmitry Borisov, director at Management Company of Yakutia ASEZ (a subsidiary of FEDC).
According to FEDC, 34 projects are being implemented in the Yakutia ASEZ. The residents have invested about RUB 5 bn in the region's economy and created 600 jobs. Thirteen projects have been fully implemented.