Kyrgyzstan imports helicopters assembled in Kazakhstan

Helicopters assembled in Kazakhstan will be exported to Kyrgyzstan.  This year the Emergency Situations Ministry of the neighboring country placed an order for the H215 Eurocopters. According to the director of the plant, five such copters will be sent to the Central Asian country. Kazakhstan’s air fleet consists of more than 30 aircraft. These include 15 helicopters, which are used for search and rescue, air ambulance, patrol and forest protection.

“Last year we purchased six heavy class aircraft. This is MI-8, the SKD assembly of which is carried out here in Kazakhstan. The procurement of five additional MI-8 helicopters in the next two years is also being considered. So why do we need versatile light and heavy class equipment? Because for short distances, Eurocopters are more efficient and cheaper to operate. But helicopters of the MI-8 and MI-26 class are heavy and are predominantly used to extinguish forest-steppe fires. That is why our fleet is growing,” said Yuri Ilyin, Kazakh Minister of Emergency Situations.

Translation by Assem Zhanmukhanova

Editing by Galiya Khassenkhanova