OREANDA-NEWS. December 5, 2012. On November 23, 2012 a UTair Aviation Tu-154 aircraft flown by first aircraft division commander Vladimir Popov successfully performed an initial technical flight to Talakan Airport in the Sakha Republic in the Russian Far East, becoming the first commercial aircraft to land in this newly constructed airport.

UTair plans to connect the airport with routes to cities in Eastern and Western Siberia and European part of Russia.

The modern airport, commissioned and built by Surgutneftegas with noteworthy expediency (the project was only announced in early 2011), is capable of receiving commercial-class aircraft essential for the successful development of the Talakanskoye oil and gas deposit in the harsh climatic conditions of the region, including extreme cold and permafrost.

The airport’s runway is 2,900 meters long and features a modern abrasion resistant surface – rock-solid monolith. Surgut Airport has been designated as the operator of Talakan Airport.

The launch of UTair flights to Talakan will significantly change the level of transport availability of this part of Eastern Siberia and open the region for exploration of natural resources.

UTair Aviation ranks among the top three Russian airlines. In 2011 UTair aircraft transported 6,750,425 passengers. In the period from January-October 2012 UTair Group serviced 31.4% more passengers than for the same period of 2011. In 2012 the airline expects an increased transport volume of up to 10 million passengers. The airline operates more than 200 fixed wing aircraft and performs flights to 110 destinations in Russia and aboard. The airline maintains its central hub at Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow, from which it performs 100 flights daily.