Russian state lessor GTLK orders 72 more Mi-8MTV-1 helicopters

GTLK, the Russian state leasing company, says it has signed a follow-on agreement with Russian Helicopters for 72 Mil Mi-8MTV-1 helicopters. The first aircraft under the new pact are due from the Kazan helicopter plant this year.

An earlier agreement covered 86 Mi-8s, which GTLK says were delivered to operators between 2023 and 2026. The lessor puts total investment across the two deals at more than 150 helicopters.

GTLK says the production is part of an investment project to modernise the country's rotorcraft fleet, supported by the Russian ministry of industry and trade. The project is valued at nearly Rb50 billion, or about $587 million. Russia's national welfare fund is financing half, with GTLK covering the rest.

Chief executive Mikhail Parnev called the agreement a continuation of its existing work, saying preferential leasing is meant to meet demand for domestically built equipment and improve transport links between Russian regions.

Vladimir Artyakov, first deputy general director of the state technology firm Rostec, said the new rotorcraft will replace older aircraft being retired from the fleet, improving the safety and reliability of air travel.

Mi-8 helicopters are used for passenger and cargo transport as well as medical evacuation, firefighting, construction and rescue work. The MTV-1 variant has a higher maximum take-off weight and payload capacity than the baseline model.