{:en}Blades exploding in the sky

{:en}

Declining in recent years, operating flying commercial helicopters Russia by the end of 2018 finally went into a small plus and amounted to 402 thousand hours (+4%). The main driver of growth once again became the flights in the interests of the aircraft while the oil and gas market is not growing. In 2018, the implementation of state projects for the development of sanitary transport, according to the Association of the helicopter industry, the market added about 25 thousand hours (6% of total flying helicopters). However, operators fear that in the case of monopolization of this segment, for example, a National air ambulance service (supported by “Rostec”), they will have to find new places for development — and this with rising operating costs and tough labor shortages, as well as discussions on the possible introduction of a General prohibition on the use of helicopters aged more than 25 years.