OREANDA-NEWS. The regional government of the Republic of Bashkortostan, the Sukhoi Company and UTair Aviation have signed a trilateral agreement for the establishment of a MRO base for the Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft in Ufa, the capital city of the Republic of Bashkortostan.

The agreement was signed by the President of the Republic of Bashkortostan Rustem Khamitov, the Sukhoi Chairman of the Board of Directors Mikhail Pogosyan and UTair Aviation Director General Andrey Martirosov.

Under the terms of the agreement, the government of the Republic will provide a hangar complex on the territory of the Ufa International Airport to UTair on a mutually beneficial basis. UTair will also be provided with airport aprons for Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft.

Sukhoi and UTair have planned to provide modern MRO infrastructure for Sukhoi Superjet 100 maintenance. The base will begin operations in the second half of 2014, in time to provide support for Sukhoi aircraft in the UTair fleet.

“UTair, one of Russian's three leading airlines, is developing its regional and short-haul destinations - the most relevant routes for the Russian market,” said Sukhoi Chairman of the Board of Directors Mikhail Pogosyan. “This is the exact market segment our aircraft fits best for its high safety specifications and comfort, as well as regarding commercial profitability. UTair Aviation is one of our key clients in Russia, and we are prepared to secure top level MRO for the Sukhoi Superjet 100.”

“The Sukhoi Superjet 100 is exactly the type of aircraft Russian aviation needs considering the large distances between populated areas and the return of regular passenger traffic between regional destinations,” commented UTair Aviation Director General Andrey Martirosov. “The flight and other technical capabilities of the Sukhoi Superjet 100, along with its cost-effectiveness, are clearly appealing to Russian airlines. Establishing a MRO base in Ufa in partnership with Sukhoi will allow UTair to maintain and operate the aircraft according to the highest international standards.”

In 2011 the Sukhoi Company, UTair Aviation and VEB-Leasing signed a lease agreement in which VEB-Leasing would purchase 24 SSJ100 aircraft from Sukhoi and in turn lease them to UTair Aviation. In August 2013, during the MAKS International Air and Space Show, the three companies singed an agreement for 6 Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft in long-range modification (SSJ100 LR) to be supplied to UTair.