Russia is experiencing a shortage of helicopters for rescue services. Of the 111 rescue aviation duty stations approved by Rosaviatsia, 31 remain unfilled. Regions experiencing a shortage of equipment include Voronezh, Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Chita, Kazan, Simferopol, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Nikolaevsk-on-Amur, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Zhukovsky, Gorno-Altaysk, and Abakan.
The main fleet of rescue aviation consists of Mi-8 helicopters and An-26 aircraft. Their operation within the framework of search and rescue support is traditionally provided by private airlines under government contracts. However, carriers are increasingly refusing to participate in such programs.
The reason is the current tariffs for flights, established by the State Air Traffic Management Corporation. According to airline estimates, they are 75% below cost. Because of this, bidding for contracts has repeatedly failed, and in some cities it has not been possible to find contractors at all.
Rosaviatsia states that tariffs have already been indexed and can be revised if necessary. At the same time, the agency notes that carriers do not provide justification for their financial requirements.
Despite the difficulties, rescue aviation participates in dozens of operations across the country every year, providing evacuation of victims, delivery of humanitarian aid, and monitoring of emergency situations.
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