MOSCOW, July 2 - RAPSI. The Utair airline has paid part of its debt to Avialeasing after the company submitted a bankruptcy application against the airline.

According to the Avialeasing press release, UTair still owed 48.9 million rubles ($1.5 million) under lease agreements as of June 29. More than 35 million rubles ($1.08 million) of the debt were confirmed by the Khanti-Mansy Autonomous District Commercial Court's decision.

According to Avialeasing, some 15  debt recovery cases against UTair under lease contracts are pending in the Eighth Commercial Court of Appeals.

The application to declare UTair bankrupt is also under consideration in the Khanti-Mansy Autonomous District Commercial Court.

UTair is a leading Russian airline and the second largest domestic carrier. The UTair Group comprises UTair Aviation, UTair Express, UTair-Ukraine, UTair-Cargo, Nefteyugansk OAO, Helisur, UTair Europe s.r.o., and UTair South Africa (Pty) Ltd. UTair's fleet has 184 aircrafts.