OREANDA-NEWS. UTair Aviation and US based Aviation Technical Services have signed an agreement for cabin modification works on eight Boeing 767-200 long haul wide-body aircraft in the UTair fleet. Under the agreement, ATS is to complete refitting operations by December 1, 2014.

The aircraft interiors will be reconfigured with 255 seats, with 10 in business class, 245 in economy class. The new configuration will allow aircraft of this type to be used on popular long-haul charter flights while making the price more affordable. These aircraft are currently equipped with 170 seats with 25 in business class and 145 in economy class and are used on flights to Hainan (China) and domestic destinations with high passenger turnover.

Four aircraft in the new configuration are expected to be available by August of this year when summer season passenger turnover and flight volume reach their peaks. The refitting works will be completed at a new ATS facility in Kansas City, Missouri in the US.

“The Boeing 767-200 aircraft reconfiguration project is extremely important for UTair,” said UTair Passenger Airlines President Oleg Semenov. “It's a move designed to make UTair's long haul fleet more versatile and effective. The refitted aircraft will expand our market presence on the tourist travel market and make air travel more affordable to our passengers.”

“We take pride in this opportunity to provide technical services to UTair,” said ATS President Matt Yerbic about the deal. “We hope to increase the level of our cooperation in the future. This agreement broadens range of services we provide not only to North American companies, but to our customers abroad as well.”

UTair Aviation currently has five Boeing 767-200 aircraft in its fleet, with three more expected to be delivered by the end of 2014.

UTair Aviation ranks among the top three Russian airlines. In 2013 UTair Aviation aircraft transported 9,625,295 passengers and the combined UTair Group fleet transported 10,413,803 passengers. UTair Aviation operates more than 150 fixed wing aircraft and performs flights to 110 destinations in Russia and abroad. The airline maintains its central hub at Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow, from which it performs more than 100 flights daily.

Aviation Technical Services (ATS) has been providing transport aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul services to civil and military aircraft operators for over 40 years. The company's HQs are located in Everett, Washington, USA. ATS is a large company employing more than 1,000 people and counts Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines and other airlines among its key customers.