OREANDA-NEWS. In the reporting period from January to March 2014 UTair Group aircraft transported a combined total of 1,928,259 passengers, representing an increase of 1.95% over the same period in 2013. Passenger turnover in the reporting period represents a 15.15% growth over 2013 with an increase of 40.02% in the international segment.

For the reporting period passenger load factor reached a total of 74.61%, a 2.3% improvement over performance for the same period last year.

I n the first three months of 2014, UTair Group delivered 5,750.41 tons of cargo. Mail traffic reached 1,158.09 tons, an increase of 40.79% over the same period last year.

Growth in the volume of passengers transported was achieved in parallel with a decrease in logged flight hours and the increased load factor - performance dynamics which positively affect the financial result of the Group's flight operations and demonstrate improved management efficiency of its route network and fleet.

UTair helicopters logged a total of 25,422 flight hours in QI 2014. In the same period UTair helicopters delivered 11,923.05 tons of cargo and transported 130,342 passengers.

The airline's business plan for 2014 anticipates an increase in these operational performance indicators due to planned increase in the flight load of the UTair Group route network and the commissioning of 22 new modern large-capacity aircraft, namely Boeing 737-800, Boeing 737-900, Airbus A321 and SSJ-100 aircraft expected to join the fleet this year.

In March this year, UTair Aviation took delivery of the sixth new Airbus A321 as part of a contract for 20 such aircraft as well as the second Boeing 737-800NG aircraft from a delivery contract for 40 airliners of this type. The UTair Group is scheduled to receive 19 new aircraft from several manufacturers by the end of 2014. The new aircraft will be operated on the domestic and international routes with high passenger traffic.

The UTair Group includes airlines conducting passenger and cargo operations with fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft as well as enterprises offering MRO, personnel training, flight services and air transportation sales services. UTair Aviation is the Group's core enterprise and includes UTair-Express, UTair-Ukraine, UTair CJSC, UTair-Helicopter services, Turuhan Airlines, Vostok Airlines, Katekavia, Helisur, UTair Europe, UTair South Africa, UTair India, UTair-Technik, UTair-Engineering, Ural Aviation Services, UТair-TG, UTair-Armenia and other enterprises. UTair Group headquarters are situated in Surgut. Subsidiaries are located in Surgut, Tyumen, Khanty-Mansyisk, Moscow and in other cities in Russia and world.