UrBC, Yekaterinburg, November 30, 2017. Ural Airlines and Lufthansa Systems signed a long-term agreement allowing the former to use NetLine and Lido/Flight 4D solutions, the Russian air carrier’s press service reports. NetLine is an integrated IT platform that allows for efficient planning and management of the company’s day-to-day operation. Lido/Flight 4D is an IT solution meant to design the best route for every flight, considering the weather conditions, the current air traffic, and other factors. ‘Given the growing passenger turnover and the growing number of airplanes to manage, Ural

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, November 30, 2017. The telecommunications provider MegaFon set up additional base LTE stations in Alapayevs, Artemovsky, and Krasnouralsk, MegaFon Ural’s press service reports. ‘This is expected to ensure faster data download and instant website response for our subscribers. Our telecom experts also worked to improve connection quality and expanded the stable signal area in Nizhniy Tagil, Berezovsky, Bulanash, Tugulum, Yushala, and Koksharova. Some jobs were also done in Uralmash, Elmash, and Yugo-Zapadny Districts of Yekaterinburg as well as next to Uralets, Drama

UrBC, Moscow, November 30, 2017. Oleg Deripaska and Vladimir Potanin stopped negotiating on a possible merger of UC Rusal and Nornickel, Nornickel’s President and primary owner Vladimir Potanin told Vedomosti. ‘Oleg and I agreed that UC Rusal and Nornickel are two different businesses and two different companies with no synergy between them whatsoever. This is why they will keep developing independently, in the medium run,’ Potanin said. Oleg Deripaska’s representative told the newspaper a share in Nornickel was always seen as a potential strategic investment, and this view of the project

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, November 30, 2017. The average price of a square meter of housing on Yekaterinburg existing home market came to RUR 67,150 in November. This was 0.7% more than four weeks previously and 1.4% less than at the beginning of the year, Ural Real Estate Chamber’s research findings indicate. The number of homes for sale in Ural Real Estate Chamber’s database went down by 1.2% in the last four weeks and by 5.1% compared with the start of the year. As of November 27, 2017, there were some 9,600 apartments and 1,250 rooms in communal apartments on offer in Yekaterinburg as well as

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, November 30, 2017. The number of emergencies relating to gas leaks in Yekaterinburg houses and apartments grew by 20% in the last seven years, owing to an increased number of homes and gas consumers, among other factors, Head of Yekaterinburggaz Emergency Department Ivan Savenko said at a press conference recently. 6,800 emergency calls were made in 2011 and as many as 7,600 this year; 1,800 queries had to do with gas leaks. ‘Calls relating to gas leaks signal the greatest danger of explosions, fires, and destruction. Our rescue teams head for the location immediately and

UrBC, Chelyabinsk, November 29, 2017. The awarding ceremony for Y.P. Osadchiy Foundation fellows took place at Chelyabinsk Pipe Rolling Plant (ChTPZ) recently, ChTPZ Group’s press service reports. ‘We give out awards to the best metallurgy students for their academic, research, and sports achievements every fall. Two hundred students have become Osadchiy fellows since the fellowship was set up seventeen years ago. It’s wonderful that so many of them now work for the Group,’ says ChTPZ Group shareholder Alexander Fedorov. Fedorov gave the fellows’ diplomas to four talented students of South

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, November 29, 2017. Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK) received a thank-you letter from Magnitogorsk Council for helping to set up a park next to the city’s Eternal Flame Memorial, the company press service reports. The thank-you letters were given out in the course of a large cabinet meeting at Magnitogorsk Council. ‘Given the local climate, the period for outdoor construction jobs is quite limited, so some people doubted the park would be completed in time. Still, thanks to our coordinated efforts, ongoing supervision of those in charge, and, of course, good

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, November 29, 2017. Ural Airlines are now offering their Wings Club members a 10% discount on Moscow flights, the air carrier’s press service reports. Those just joining the program can additionally benefit from a 1,000-ruble welcome bonus (1 bonus = RUR 1) and a 15% discount on their next flight. The offer holds through December 20, 2017 and applies to flights to be operated till April 20, 2018 (except for the period between December 22, 2017 and January 12, 2018) from Moscow to Irkutsk and back, from Moscow to Barnaul and back, from Moscow to Novosibirsk and back, from

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, November 29, 2017. EVRAZ Holding’s Nizhniy Tagil Integrated Metallurgical Works (NTMK) now makes high-strength construction beams (strength grade: S390 and S440) that are currently unique to Russia, EVRAZ Holding Ural’s Corporate Relations Center reports. ‘Workers from our converter shop developed a special chemical composition for the new steel type. As it uses vanadium allowing addition and the unique rolling technology, EVRAZ NTMK is now the only company making rolled double-T beams with strength grades 390 and 440. These beams can be used for heavy-duty construction

UrBC, Moscow, November 29, 2017. Russian tour operators might cancel their last-minute offers in the summer of 2018 as chartered flights will grow more expensive, Russia’s Tour Operators Association reports. According to the Association, the price of chartered flights is expected to go up due to a number of factors: an increase in the cost of jet fuel, lack of airplanes, and less fierce competition on the air travel market. The last two factors are reported to have been brought about by VIM Avia’s recent bankruptcy. As a result, the price of packaged tours will only be going up.

UrBC, Magnitogorsk, November 28, 2017. Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK) is going to present its produce at The Big 5 Show in Dubai, MMK Information, PR & Advertising Department reports. ‘The Big 5 Show is a major event in the Middle East’s building industry. The exhibition will take place on November 26-29. MMK has participated in the show for several years now, as the Middle Eastern market is one of the key export ones for the plant. Last year, some 1,700,000,000 kg of MMK produce got delivered to the area, which amounts to more than 50% of our exports,’ the Department says. MMK

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, November 28, 2017. Two-thirds of Sverdlovsk Oblast-based workers do not see their pay as adequate. HeadHunter’s analysts’ research findings indicate. Only 2% of their respondents said they made enough money considering their qualification and needs. This is the same percentage as last year, actually. When broken down by professional skills, those happiest with their salaries and wages turned out to work in Fossils Extraction (39%), IT (33%), and Top Management (33%). The number of those surveyed who don’t make enough to cover even the basic expenses rose from 35% in 2016

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, November 28, 2017. Sverdlovsk Oblast authorities completed all the coordinating procedures relating to drafting the budget bill for the year 2018, their Information Department reports. ‘Representatives of local governments and town councils as well as deputies and pubic group members all took part in the procedures. Most of the proposals were taken into account when working on the budget balance. The budget also makes provisions for the decrees put forth by the Russian Federation President and the Governor of Sverdlovsk Oblast and for the Five-Year Development Program,’

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, November 28, 2017. A Sverdlovsk Oblast-based borrower took out a consumer loan of RUR 155,840 on average in the third quarter of the year, which was 0.3% more than one year previously, the National Credit History Bureau’s research findings indicate. At the same time, the average consumer loan amounts soared by as much as 44.9% in Leningrad Oblast, by 39.2% in Ulyanovsk Oblast, by 32.5% in Saint Petersburg, and by 26.3% in Altay. The average consumer loan amounts also plummeted by as much as 54% in Nenetsky Autonomous Region, by 29.6% in Kaliningrad Oblast, by 23% in

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, November 28, 2017. Sverdlovsk Oblast Arbitration Court declared Rezh Stone-Crushing Plant (RKDZ) bankrupt, the court reports state. The plant was set up in Rezh, Sverdlovsk Oblast, and registered in Yekaterinburg in 2009. The business mainly deals in cutting and treatment of stones. The insolvency claim against the plant was placed with the court by Ural Granite Company in April 2017. It was determined in the course of the hearing that creditors’ claims amounted to RUR 55.418m and the defendant was unable to pay in time. Sverdlovsk Oblast Arbitration Court ruled that the

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, November 27, 2017. Ural Airlines are offering tickets for all of their flights at a 30% discount for its Wings Club members, the air carrier’s press service reports. New club members can use the 30% discount right away and enjoy the 1,000-ruble welcome bonus as well; the bonus is granted as soon as you register with the club, which can be done on the company website www.uralairlines.com. The offer holds on November 24-26, 2017 for all flights to be operated between November 24, 2017 and March 27, 2018 (except for the slot between December 25, 2017 and January 15, 2018).

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, November 27, 2017. Pervouralsk is hosting ChTPZ Group’s 15th Snezhnost Charity Festival with support from Sverdlovsk Oblast Government, the Group’s press service reports. The festival plays will be performed at Pervouralsk New Plant Culture Palace and Innovative Culture Center. Snezhnost will open with a musical called Look At Me Flying! at Pervouralsk New Plant Culture Palace on December 14. Children from Chelyabinsk, Miass, Kopeisk, and smaller settlements in Chelyabinsk Oblast will act as the primary performers in the musical. The young actors will act out a story of

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, November 27, 2017. SKB-Bank was among the country’s top fifty banks according to Kommersant Publishing House’s rating; the rating comprised all banks located outside of Moscow and Saint Petersburg. SKB-Bank also came fourth in the rating of largest non-capital banks on the consumer lending market, the bank’s press service reports. SKB-Bank was given the 26th position in the overall national rating based on the amount of consumer loans issued by October 1, 2017. The bank’s retail loan book exceeded RUR 59bn. According to Kommersant, Russian banks’ consumer lending output

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, November 27, 2017. Rosatom TVEL’s Ural Electrochemical Combine co-funded a ‘smart savings clinic’ program in Novouralsk, the company representative Konstantin Grabelnikov said in the course of a recent press tour. The project is being implemented by Russia’s Healthcare Ministry in a number of pilot towns (mostly the ones with nuclear power facilities), including Novouralsk, since June 1, 2017. ‘The town’s old healthcare system wasn’t efficient enough, which meant there was a long wait for the patients. It was suggested that we could organize the process along the lines of

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, November 27, 2017. The amount of debt owed to Sverdlovsk Oblast-based businesses in government and municipal contracts went down from RUR 1.2bn to RUR 600m, the local public prosecution authorities report. ‘Still, things look difficult for the healthcare establishments, as these still owe their contractors over RUR 215m,’ the authorities say. The debt amounts are at their largest in Nizhniy Tagil (RUR 174m), Yekaterinburg (RUR 45.5m), Aramil (RUR 50.8m), Tugulym (RUR 40m), Asbest (RUR 10m), and Nizhnyaya Tura (RUR 16m). ‘For one, we managed to reduce the debts owed to