OREANDA-NEWS. On June 09, 2007 the government of the Kursk region and UTair (UTair Aviation, JSC) entered into an economic cooperation agreement, reported the press-centre of UTair.

The agreement signed by Governor Alexander Mikhaylov and UTair’s First Deputy General Director Vasily Lebedinsky makes provisions for long-term air cooperation. Specifically, it sets forth that the Kursk-based airport will be open for scheduled, charter, tour and connecting flights.

The agreement was signed at the town Svoboda in the Kursk region during the 7th Interregional Kursk Korennaya Fair which invited some 800 Russian and foreign companies.

UTair has been cooperating with the Kursk regional government since 2004 offering the region’s inhabitants convenient connecting flights to dozens of Russian and foreign cities via the Vkukovo airport at special through fares.

UTair is Russia's largest regional air carrier, with an estimated total of 500,000 passengers to be carried on over 10,000 regional flights in 2007. All in all, according to UTair’s business plan, the airline projects to carry over 3m passengers on its planes and helicopters, and to introduce around thirty new routes.