The Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) has certified the increase in the take-off/landing altitude of the Ansat helicopter to 3,500 meters (11,482 feet). The major change approval is issued on the basis of trials conducted in the summer of 2018 at Mount Elbrus. The document allows Ansat to operate in high-altitude conditions.

Before that the helicopter take-off and landing altitude was limited to 1,000 meters (3,280 feet), restricting its use in elevated areas. During certification tests Ansat successfully completed a series of take-offs and landings at altitudes up to 3,500 meters, including simulation of one engine failure and autorotation mode, thus confirming its capability to operate in high-altitude conditions.

“The major change approval for increase of take-off and landing altitude of Ansat gives us new opportunities to bring in new customers from countries with such complex terrain,” said Andrey Boginskiy, director general of Russian Helicopters Holding Company. “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. We received approximately 30 requests for delivery of Ansat helicopters, and improvement of flight performance will benefit our subsequent customer negotiations.”