Russia’s federal air transport agency, Rosaviatsiya, has approved Kazan Helicopters’ Ansat light twin for an increase in takeoff and landing altitudes up to 11,483 feet (3,500 meters), up from the previous 3,281 feet (1,000 meters). The green light for higher altitude operations followed a series of tests that included simulated one engine inoperative (OEI) and autorotation modes.
“The major change approval for increase of takeoff and landing altitude of Ansat gives us new opportunities to bring in new customers from countries with such complex terrain. For example, during the South Asian Heli Tour conducted in late 2018 we saw interest from potential helicopter operators in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia," said Andrey Boginsky, Russian Helicopters holding company director general. "We received approximately 30 requests for delivery of Ansat helicopters, and improvement of flight performance will benefit our subsequent customer negotiations."
The seven-seat Ansat is being offered in utility, passenger, and EMS configurations and is available with a quick-change cabin. The helicopter received initial Russian certification in 2013 and an EMS variant was certified in 2015. In August, Rosaviatsiya approved a service life extension for a variety of Ansat components.