OREANDA-NEWS. On August 10, 2007 the Gazprom Central Office has hosted a Meeting on the issues of Gazpromavia aircraft fleet and land-based aircraft infrastructure development until 2015, headed by Alexander Ananenkov, Acting Chairman of the Management Committee. Attending the Meeting were Yaroslav Golko, Member of the Management Committee, Head of the Investment & Construction Department, heads of Gazprom Administration structural units and Andrey Ovcharenko, Director General of Gazpromavia Aviation Company, reported the press-centre of  Gazprom.

The participants of the Meeting noted that air support of Gazprom’s large-scale projects aimed at the development of the Yamal Peninsula, Arctic sea shelf, Eastern Siberia and Far East fields was one of the major goals of Gazpromavia activities. Besides, the above mentioned activities are focused on enhancing the aircraft use efficiency during the construction of gas production and transportation facilities and on ensuring the operating reliability of the gas transportation system and production facilities.

The Meeting addressed the issues concerning the Yamburg Airport reconstruction, helicopter fleet modernization and enhancement in the town of Nadym when providing air support for the Bovanenkovskoye field development project.

The participants also discussed the issue of ensuring safety of the flights during offshore hydrocarbon field development, especially in the case of Prirazlomnoye and Shtokman fields. In addition, it was noted that the creation of a special training system was being planned at the Ostafyevo Airport in order to carry out emergency training of aircraft crews and shift personnel.

The Meeting also focused on creating a Gazpromavia branch office in the town of Tomsk so as to ensure air servicing of the following companies engaged in the development of hydrocarbon fields in the Tomsk Oblast: Tomsktransgaz, Vostokgazprom, Tomskgazprom and Gazprom Neft-Vostok.

Furthermore, the Meeting pondered on the issues concerning the renewal of Gazpromavia’s aircraft and helicopter fleet, as well as the proposals on the Ostafyevo Airport modernization. An International Business Aviation Centre is planned to be established on the Ostafyevo Airport platform with due consideration of an increase in air performance.

According to the Meeting results respective structural units were tasked with developing a long-term comprehensive program for the development of Gazpromavia Aviation Company.

Reference:
Gazpromavia, a Gazprom wholly owned subsidiary, was established on March 22, 1995.

Gazpromavia’s core operations are shift personnel transportation from European Russia to Western Siberia and the Extreme North, where the main gas production, transportation and processing facilities are located, as well as monitoring of gas pipelines.

In order to promptly resolve issues related to air operations at gas mains located in various regions of Russia, Gazpromavia set up 7 affiliates in the following cities and towns: Kaluga, Perm, Samara, Ukhta, Yugorsk, Sochi and Yamburg.

Operating on the market for 12 years, Gazpromavia has acquired extensive experience in air flights in various environments all over Russia and abroad.

Gazpromavia employs highly qualified pilots, engineers and technicians, and owns a big aircraft fleet consisting of 33 jets (Dassault Falcon 900B, Dassault Falcon 900EX, Yak-42D, Yak-40, Tu-154M, An-74, Il-76TD) and 74 helicopters (MI-2, MI-8, MI-171, Ka-26).

The company’s basic airport is in Ostafyevo (Moscow Oblast).