GTLK state programme — subsidised helicopter leasing in Russia, and who qualifies

Almost every new Mi-8 that reaches a Russian operator arrives the same way — through subsidised leasing from GTLK, the State Transport Leasing Company. The programme is straightforward, with one hard condition that people usually discover at the end: it is not open to everyone.

How the programme works

The funding comes from the National Wealth Fund on a repayable basis: GTLK buys helicopters from the factory and leases them to operators on terms the open market simply does not offer.

• down payment — from 0%
• term — up to 25 years
• rate — well below market, comparable to subsidised state lending by public programme data

The 2023 contract covered 86 Mi-8MTV-1 helicopters built by the Kazan Helicopter Plant — roughly 45 billion roubles, or about 500 million per aircraft. A follow-up programme adds another 72 helicopters with deliveries through 2027. A separate track, PSB Aviation Leasing, supplies dozens of aircraft for air ambulance work.

The key condition: the lessee must be an operator

The programme is open to certified air operators only. A private individual, an investor or a company without an operator certificate cannot become the lessee — neither directly nor through an intermediary.

The size threshold is lower than it looks, though: recent recipients include small regional carriers. What decides the outcome is the readiness of the project — which contracts the aircraft will serve, how the utilisation is evidenced, how the economics are calculated.

How the application works

1. An investment case. Routes and contracts (air ambulance, aerial forestry work, oil and gas, regional transport), flying hours, revenue, payback.
2. An application to GTLK with the company and project paperwork.
3. Review and a delivery slot. The queue is real: aircraft are allocated years ahead, and the earlier the application, the closer the slot.

If you are not an airline

There are two working routes.

The first is the pre-owned market: Mi-8AMT and Mi-8MTV-1 aircraft built from 2006 onwards are bought outright — with commercial leasing (by my information, 5–20% down and up to 10 years) or a loan if needed. The aircraft then goes to an operator and works on contracts.

The second is a partnership with an existing operator, which applies to the programme itself and covers your task with its fleet.

I know the helicopter side from the operator's seat. In 2021 we bought a Mi-171A2 — the company's first experience of operating helicopters; in 2023 we took a Mi-8AMT built in Ulan-Ude, and we contracted a Kazan-built Mi-8MTV for delivery in 2025. Two more Mi-8s were built for our clients and are in service; on the Russian market we buy mostly the Mi-8 and its family — AMT and MTV.

Programme terms change, and they are worth checking on the date of the deal.

Alexander Filimonov — business aviation: sourcing, acquisition and entry into service of aircraft.