KrasAvia in Russia performed the first commercial flights with the two ATR 72-500 aircraft. These are the first ATRs ever recorded in Russia.
Owned by the Government of Krasnoyarsk Krai, the airline KrasAvia is based in the third largest city in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, with a population of about 1.1 million.
KrasAvia operates scheduled flights and charters with helicopters and commercial aircraft on regional routes to the far north of Russia from its hub at Krasnoyarsk Airport.
The two ATR 72-500s were bought second-hand from Swedish company Erik Thun, and the deal was mediated by Bertrand Lattes Aviation Capital (BLAC).
Air services are crucial for serving remote regions of Siberia.
Air services are crucial for serving remote regions of Siberia, and the difficult climate requires versatile and reliable aircraft capable of taking off and landing in extremely cold conditions.
The Krasnoyarsk - Khatanga route, near the Arctic Ocean, is one of the longest ATR aircraft to fly, with an average flight time of four hours.
The 2 ATR aircraft will replace the current Antonov 24/26 aircraft, which have been in operational service for over 40 years. At the same time, they will allow KrasAvia to continue its mission to fly to Siberia.