KrasAvia operates two ATR72 aircraft to promote connectivity in Siberia

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA / Image courtesy : KrasAvia

Russia's regional airline KrasAvia began operating the first two ATR72-500 aircraft, which are the first ATR models to receive the Russian registration number. KrasAvia is affiliated to the Krasnoyarsk Territory Government and is headquartered in Krasnoyarsk, the third largest city in Siberia, with a population of approximately 1.1 million. From the Krasnoyarsk hub, KrasAvia uses helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft to operate regular and charter flights in northern Russia. The two ATR72-500s were purchased from Swedish leasing company Erik Thun, and the commercial arrangement was completed by Bertrand Lattes Aviation Capital (BLAC).

Aviation connectivity is critical to remote areas of Siberia, and the challenging environment requires versatile and reliable aircraft capable of taking off and landing in extreme cold conditions. The route from Krasnoyarsk to Hardanga near the Arctic Ocean is one of the longest ATR regular routes in the world (984NM/ 1822km)-the flight time is 4 hours.

KrasAvia General Manager Andrei Yegorov announced, "The purchase of these two ATR 72-500 aircraft shows that KrasAvia will be more committed to improving the fleet and providing passengers with a more comfortable flight experience. The ATR72 aircraft will replace the smaller aircraft, Antonov An-24 and An-26 turboprop aircraft that have been in service for more than 40 years. Thanks to the versatility of the ATR72-500 and the modern and spacious cabin, we will continue to provide feeder connections to remote areas of Siberia. With more seats, the cabin is more comfortable."

ATR CEO Stefano Bortoli said, "All remote areas should have the opportunity to be included in the basic transportation network. The ATR aircraft transports passengers in an environmentally friendly manner, drives economic development, and demonstrates unparalleled performance. Because KrasAvia is the first Russian public transport airline to purchase and operate ATR aircraft, the operation of these aircraft is of great significance to the company, and it is great to see ATR aircraft continue to help Russia’s regional connections."

KrasAvia is Russia’s third largest ATR operator, second only to UTair and NordStar, which operate a fleet of 15 ATR 72-500 and 5 ATR 42-500 respectively. There are currently 22 aircraft in the Russian ATR fleet.