Russian carrier UTAir says it remains committed to acquiring Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft as it lays out plans to expand regional operations.
Last November, UTAir concluded a preliminary agreement with Sukhoi for the supply of 24 Superjet 100s.
Speaking in Kiev, the carrier's director Andrei Martirosov says: "We'll finalise the agreement and place a firm order by the end of this year."
In 2011, UTAir is to take 21 Boeing 737s, a dozen ATR turboprops and two Bombardier CRJ200 regional jets.
Its low-cost subsidiary ATR operator UTAir-Ukraine plans to expand business by introducing regular flights from Kiev to Ivano-Frankovsk, Krivoy Rog, Lugansk and Lviv.
Martirosov says the company has also chosen to establish a hub at Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia. A pair of 737s will be deployed there this month initially to provide three daily flights to Moscow as well as to serve Yerevan and Surgut.
"We've also proposed a substantial charter flight programme from Rostov to destinations in Egypt, Turkey, Italy [and] Spain," says Martirosov.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
