Kyiv International Airport named after Sikorsky has started a phased reduction of its employees, amid the crisis in the aviation industry due to the coronavirus pandemic, the airport’s press service has said. Currently, the airport division is deciding whom of the employees to dismiss and how to optimize the operation of the enterprise.
“We predict a slow recovery in demand for air travel and expect a return to the pre-quarantine level in only a few years. We cannot survive on our own without support from the state. Unfortunately, we will have to fire 50% of the staff, including highly qualified specialists of the industry,” director general of Master-Avia management company Oleh Levchenko said.
The airport also stressed that the problem was also aggravated by a lack of reaction and assistance from the government, the relevant ministry and Kyiv authorities, despite the fact that the airport management had repeatedly appealed to the authorities for help.
In total, according to the enterprise, about 2,000 people work at the airport and Master-Avia. Another 8,000 employees work in related enterprises that cooperate with the airport.
Kyiv Airport is the second Ukrainian airport in terms of passenger traffic.
Ukraine International Airlines (UIA, Kyiv) has begun a process of the forced dismissal of 900 employees (35.2% of the company’s staff as of early 2020) due to the closure of air traffic because of anti-epidemic quarantine measures introduced by Ukraine, the company’s press service has said.
“Now the company’s management is taking all possible measures to reduce costs and generate income from single flights. Our goal is to preserve the company and key personnel, in particular flight crews. Unfortunately, a significant decrease in the airline’s activities resulted in a forced reduction of 900 UIA highly professional employees,” UIA President Yevhen Dykhne said.
The airline’s press service told Interfax-Ukraine that UIA has already begun the process of staff reduction in accordance with the law, which will require a minimum of two months.
Dykhne emphasized that in connection with the introduction of restrictive measures on regular passenger air transportation since March 17 of this year, UIA’s work was practically stopped.
The company also noted that the UIA long-haul fleet will also be reduced.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has called on the leaders of Ukrainian enterprises to allow their employees to work remotely.
“I personally ask business executives – if possible, allow your employees to work at home, remotely. Especially those who have children and who cannot leave them because of quarantine at schools and kindergartens,” he said in his video address to Ukrainian people posted on his Facebook page on Friday night.
