The helicopter company Gelix Airlines has been around for 30 years. Now three Ilyushin Il76 freighters are to be purchased.
Just a few days ago, Gelix Airlines received its own ICAO code. The reason for this is that they plan to take off with three Ilyushin Il-76TD cargo planes shortly. So far, Gelix has only operated five Mil Mi-8T helicopters from its home base in Perm. The expansion with the four-engine aircraft is therefore an enormous step for Gelix.
However, the Il-76s are not stationed in Perm, but in Ulyanovsk, the “aviation capital of Russia”. Gelix recently signed a contract to operate the three aircraft with the government of the Ulyanovsk region. All three planes have the same previous owner, Alrosa Aviakompania, and should actually go to Deek Aviation from Sharjah. A first machine has already received Gelix Airlines titles, a second is expected to join Gelix in August, while the third machine is not expected until the end of the year.
Deek Aviation is said to be owned by Russians Oleg Vladimirovich Sergeev and Valery Sevelyev. Deek, in turn, is the parent company of Fly Sky Airlines, which has or had an AOC in Ukraine, Romania and Kyrgyzstan. It seems that Gelix is now also part of this group of companies. According to its own statement, Deek Aviation has eleven Ilyushin 76s.