Gazpromavia – a wholly owned subsidiary of Gazprom – celebrates its 10th anniversary today.

“Air transport plays a special role in facilitating gas industry’s efficient functioning. It includes cargo transportation, passengers and personnel transportation, monitoring of trunk pipelines and servicing of gas pipeline infrastructure.

In the ten years of its operation, Gazpromavia has made a significant contribution in the industry’s development, turning itself into the largest national corporate air transportation company and securing a place within the top ten air transportation companies in Russia. Our company’s prosperity is based on the highest professional qualification of our personnel” – Andrey Ovcharenko, Director General of Gazpromavia stated in his anniversary address.

Reference:

In February 1995 Gazprom’s Management Committee decided to establish Gazpromavia Ltd.

On April 26, 1995, the Department of air transport of the Russian Ministry of transport issued the Certificate of operator to Gazpromavia.

In 1997 Gazpromavia merged Gazprom’s regional air transportation companies. Seven branch offices in Kaluga, Perm, Samara, Ukhta, Yugorsk (Sovetskii), Sochi and Yamburg were established.

In December 2000 Ostafievo base airport located in Podolsk region, Moscow Oblast, was brought into operation.

Gazpromavia is currently the largest national corporate air transportation company occupying the leading position in business air transportation sector.

The company operates 33 aircraft and 74 helicopters:

• aircraft include Dassault Falcon 900B, Yak-42D, Yak-40, Tu-154M, An-74, Il-76TD;
• helicopters include MI-2, MI-8 and Ka-26.

The aircraft have substantial resource and high safety records. The aircraft are equipped with modern systems allowing international transportation, including satellite navigation systems KLN-90B (installed on Tu-154M, Yak-42D, An-74), GPS155T8SO (installed on Il-76TD), airborne collision prevention systems TCAS-2000 (installed on Tu-154M, Yak-42D, An-74) and ACA8-67A (installed on Il-76TD).

The company employs more than 2500 highly qualified professionals. The maintenance and engineering service is certified for servicing all types of aircraft operated by the company. Practically the entire commanding air staff have the highest training level and are qualified as 1st class.

In the ten years of operation the company gained substantial experience in different climatic conditions within Russia and abroad.

Gazpromavia provides a wide variety of services including:

• transporting shift personnel from the European part of Russia to Western Siberia and Extreme North;
• charter flights for transportation of passengers, luggage and cargo (including business aviation), on national and international routes (including Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, America, North and South Poles);
• airborne assignments: exploration, monitoring of trunk pipeline facilities, servicing gas pipelines and construction sites, medical tasks during rescue operations, facilitating Gazprom’s social programs’ implementation;
• scheduled national flights for passenger, luggage and cargo transportation;
• airport services for passengers, luggage and cargo handling in Ostafievo and Yamburg airports which are parts of Gazpromavia.

Gazpromavia is the only Russian air transporter facilitating passenger and cargo transportation for the Paris-Dakar Rally. The rally runs through France, Spain, Morocco, West Sahara, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina-Faso, Senegal.

Gazpromavia has been the winner of the national Wings of Russia contest twice: in 2002 as the Air transportation company of the year – servicing the Russian economy, and in 2003 as the Air transportation company of the year – cargo transporter on national and international routes.

The Russian President issued an Honorary gratitude diploma to Gazpromavia’s An-74 aircraft crew for realization of the North Pole-32 floating station project and the rescue of polar explorers.

In December 2004 – January 2005, Gazpromavia’s Il-76 aircraft transported the Russian air Antarctic expedition members to the South Pole and facilitated the evacuation of An-3T aircraft which was there due to engine malfunction. Successful realization of this project led to Russia’s full compliance with the Madrid protocol according to which Antarctica is an ecologically clean zone.

DIVISION OF RELATIONS WITH MASS MEDIA

GAZPROMAVIA'S PRESS SERVICE