Helicentro Peru has launched a maintenance and repair centre for Russian-made helicopters in Lima at the facilities of the Peruvian Air Force Maintenance Service (SEMAN). Built in partnership with Russian Helicopters, part of Rostec State Corporation, the centre will provide maintenance for Mi-type aircraft.

The official opening ceremony was attended by CEO of Russian Helicopters Andrey Boginsky and chief commander of the Peruvian Air Force Rodolfo García Esquerre.

The facility will be used by Helicentro Peru to repair Mi-17 civil helicopters operated in the region, and by Russian Helicopters to overhaul Mi-17 aircraft belonging to the Peruvian Air Force.

“The establishment of the maintenance and repair centre for Russian helicopters in Peru is of strategic importance; it will enable the provision of the full range of work without taking fuselages out of the country. Although the centre has just started its operation, it already has orders until 2023; nearly 40 helicopters have been allocated slots for repair over the next five years. In addition, the advantageous geographical location of Peru and the enterprise's production capacity will enable it to accept orders from other countries in the region,” noted Andrey Boginsky, CEO of Russian Helicopters.

“Peru is the major importer of Russian-made aircraft in Latin America. This country is currently operating over 100 Russian helicopters,” said Viktor Kladov, Rostec's director for international cooperation and regional policy. “We continue to create a unified system for managing the life cycle of our helicopters in Peru. The opening of the aircraft maintenance centre is significantly enhancing our position in Latin America, which is a top-priority region for Rostec.”