Russian carrier Ural Airlines appears to have abandoned ambitions to rescue the Airbus A320 which landed in a field after running low on fuel during a diversion.
The carrier has told the Izvestia newspaper that it considered several options for retrieving the twinjet after it touched down on rough ground some 186km short of Novosibirsk.
It had been diverting from Omsk on 12 September last year, after a hydraulic failure on approach, but the attempt to reach Novosibirsk was thwarted because the failure prevented retraction of the landing-gear – leading to increased fuel-burn.
All the occupants survived the emergency landing in the field and Ural Airlines had been optimistic that the aircraft could be recovered and returned to service.
The carrier told Izvestia that it has considered several options to retrieve and transport the A320.
These included preparing a frozen surface from which the jet could take off, but the soil density has proven insufficient and an artificial platform would have to be constructed.
Building a runway suitable for the aircraft would be impractical and expensive, the airline added, given the distance from Novosibirsk across which materials would have to be conveyed.
The airline also highlighted the expenditure of renting the field in which the A320 is situated, plus maintenance costs and security measures to protect the jet.
Ural Airlines stated to the newspaper that it would not return the aircraft to commercial service. It has looked into other possibilities including removing it, in sections, by helicopter.
