OREANDA-NEWS. As part of its current fleet renewal program, UTair Aviation has taken delivery of the eighth Airbus A321 aircraft, the latest in a contract for 20 aircraft of this type signed in 2012. With the new Airbus aircraft entering the fleet and the decision to retire older aircraft, the average age for aircraft in the UTair fleet will drop to 8 years by the end of 2014.

The new A321 airliner is the fourth of this group of aircraft equipped with fuel-efficient Sharklet wing tips. UTair expects to receive four more such aircraft by the end of the year.

The new 2.4 meter-high Sharklets are made from composite materials that enhance the aerodynamic properties of the aircraft and offer a 4% reduction in fuel consumption while reducing carbon dioxide and mono-nitrogen oxide emissions. Moreover, the addition of Sharklets can increase the flight range and payload capacity.

Under the terms of the contract, the A321 aircraft come equipped with CFM56-5B engines and single class configuration with a maximum capacity of 220 passengers. The aircraft cabins are fitted with modern ergonomic Pinnacle seats for maximum passenger comfort. Each seat row has four power sockets for charging mobile devices.

UTair plans to operate these aircraft on popular domestic and international flights from Moscow to such destinations as Anapa, Omsk, Chelyabinsk, Heviz, Thessaloniki, Dushanbe, Tashkent and other cities in UTair's domestic and international route network. The aircraft chosen for the UTair fleet renewal program feature low fuel consumption and lower operating costs as well as reduced impact on the environment and increased levels of operational reliability and security.

UTair Aviation is the core enterprise of UTair Group and consists of companies performing air transport operations with fixed and rotary wing aircraft as well as enterprises offering MRO, personnel training, flight services and air transportation sales services. The Group includes UTair-Express, UTair-Ukraine, Turuhan Airlines, UTair-Helicopter services, Vostok Airlines, Helisur, UTair Europe, UTair South Africa and UTair India as well as UTair-Technik, UTair-Engineering and other enterprises. UTair Group headquarters are located in Surgut. The airline operates more than 160 fixed wing aircraft and 350 helicopters. In 2013 UTair aircraft transported 10,413,803 passengers, 10.96% more than in 2012. UTair Group passenger turnover demonstrated YoY growth of 15.7% in 2012 and achieved a combined 18,591,544,700 PKM. Group Helicopters' flight hours achieved 165,519 hours.