State Aviation Administration transferred powers for Mi-8 helicopter repair to a UAE company: experts explained how this affects Ukraine

The decision of the State Aviation Service to grant the right to accompany the repair documentation of Mi-8 helicopters to AAL Group Ltd from the UAE, which is also suspected of having ties with Russia, raises questions in the expert community. In particular, it concerns the motives for choosing a foreign company and ignoring a Ukrainian enterprise, potential risks to national security, and other negative consequences. UNN asked experts for their opinion on this strategic decision for Ukraine.

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For a long time, the issue of appointing a company responsible for the maintenance of repair documentation for Mi-8 type helicopters (specifically Mi-8MTV-1 and Mi-17-1 models) remained unresolved in Ukraine. Recently, the State Aviation Service of Ukraine, under the leadership of Oleksandr Bilchuk, announced the adoption of a relevant decision, but did not specify which company received these powers. According to reports from journalists, it is AAL Group Ltd, registered in the United Arab Emirates. Open sources contain information about its possible connection with the Russian defense holding "Russian Helicopters," which is part of the state concern "Rostec" - a manufacturer of combat helicopters for the Russian army. At the same time, the State Aviation Service has for a long time rejected numerous requests for these powers from a Ukrainian enterprise that is 100% state-owned and has many years of experience working with Mi-8 type helicopters.

According to Dmytro Holovin, a representative of LLC "Spivdruzhnist Aviastroy," the technical support of documentation depends on who has valid authority from the helicopter type developer.

Ultimately, it all comes down to who has the most current valid support from the developer of this helicopter type. "Russian Helicopters" owns the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and is the holder of the type certificate of airworthiness. All changes, corrections, and operational documentation come directly from the developer. Before the full-scale invasion and other military-political processes of the last decade, some Ukrainian companies had appropriate support. Apparently, that's why the authority was transferred to the company that currently has the most up-to-date documentation.

Thus, it is not excluded that AAL Group Ltd had current access to the latest technical documentation for the Mi-8, given possible working ties with the Russian defense holding "Russian Helicopters."

In turn, aviation expert and aviation sector manager Bohdan Dolintse explained that the organization that maintains technical documentation indeed plays a key role in the process of aircraft maintenance. According to him, such organizations are also authorized to determine companies that are allowed to perform technical maintenance and repair, i.e., effectively grant them official status as service providers.

Returning to the Ukrainian context, domestic enterprises that perform technical maintenance of Mi-8 helicopters are now obliged to coordinate their activities with AAL Group Ltd — an entity from the UAE that received authorization to accompany repair documentation by decision of the State Aviation Service of Ukraine. The question remains open whether all potential risks to national security were properly assessed during the adoption of this decision, given the probable ties of AAL Group Ltd with the Russian defense complex.

Bohdan Dolintse calls the question of whether Ukrainian companies have the necessary competencies to perform such work a difficult one, but indicates that the relevant base exists in Ukraine.

If we talk generally about the performance of maintenance and repair work, then in Ukraine, in principle, since 2014, companies have appeared that had relevant certificates and carried out work on technical repair and maintenance.

According to the expert, state registers of certified service providers who have the right to perform such work are maintained in Ukraine.

Those companies that are included in these lists are actually considered by the Ukrainian authorities to meet the necessary requirements and are authorized to provide such services.

Thus, the decision of the State Aviation Service may have much deeper consequences than it seems at first glance. Despite the presence of certified enterprises in Ukraine with many years of experience in repairing Mi-8 helicopters, critical powers have been transferred to a company from the UAE, which is linked to the Russian defense sector.

In wartime conditions, this creates not only administrative difficulties but also real risks to the country's defense capability and security, which, it seems, were not properly taken into account when making this strategic decision.

Among the most serious dangers are the risk of data on the technical condition and combat readiness of Ukrainian helicopters falling into the hands of the aggressor state, the formation of critical dependence on a foreign contractor who can stop cooperation at any time, and the potential threat of sabotage in the functioning of key combat aviation systems. No less alarming are the possible reputational losses of Ukraine at the international level in the field of aviation safety. Economic consequences may include the probable curtailment of the national segment for Mi-8 maintenance and repair, a reduction in the profits of aviation enterprises, the loss of key customers, which can lead to a decrease in the number of jobs and difficulties in entering international contracts.