Russian Helicopters to deliver 2 Mi-171 helicopters to China

Russian Helicopters (part of State Corporation Rostec) has signed a contract with China General Aviation Service Co. Ltd. The two Mi-171 helicopters will be delivered in 2016.

Mi-171 helicopters are operated successfully across China, in particular in places with challenging topographies and harsh climates. They are used in a variety of cargo transport operations – delivering medicines, humanitarian aid, construction materials, as well as in search and rescue and emergency response operations.

Mi-171 helicopters were used in operations to rescue people following the severe April 2013 earthquake in Sichuan province. Mountain roads had been completely destroyed – and helicopters were the only way of delivering goods. Russian helicopters were highly rated by Chinese search and rescue teams and helicopter operators for their reliability, resilience and ease of use.

China is a major operator of Russian-made helicopters, with Mi-8/17 models being the most popular. China has a fleet of around 150 Mi-171 helicopters. In June 2014, Russian Helicopters concluded the delivery of 52 Mi-171E helicopters to the Chinese company Poly Technologies. Mi-171E helicopters are equipped with VK-2500 engines.