Ukraine International Airlines (UIA, Kyiv) canceled most of its international flights until August 1, 2020 and will start to resume its flight network from destinations with high tourism and economic potential.
The airline’s press service said that after Ukraine opens international flights on June 15, Ukraine International Airlines will follow the policy of balanced flight restart.
The airline said that the reasons for the delayed restart of the flight program is the fact that the opening of borders does not occur on a parity basis, most countries do not confirm the possibility of free border crossing for Ukraine’s citizens, and many countries introduce restrictive measures in the form of testing for coronavirus (COVID-19) or self-isolation when arriving in the destination country.
“In order to adapt to the new needs of the air passenger market, Ukraine International Airlines closed the sale of air tickets for most international destinations until August 1, 2020. Thus, the airline seeks to prevent inflated expectations of passengers and the cancellation of unloaded flights,” the airline said.
The airline will continue to operate evacuation flights and some flights from the regular program in June.
At the stage of resuming international flights during June, the airline also sees potential in regular internal and international flights, plans to operate flights in the following directions: London (Heathrow Airport) – Kyiv (evacuation) on June 18; Kyiv – Kherson, Kyiv – Odesa on June 19; Kyiv – Bangkok on June 20; Bangkok – Kyiv (evacuation), Kherson – Kyiv, Odesa – Kyiv, Kyiv – Istanbul – Kyiv on June 21; Kyiv – New York – Kyiv (evacuation) on June 22; Kyiv – Amsterdam – Kyiv on June 23; Kyiv – Miami, Kyiv – Paris on June 24; Miami – Kyiv (evacuation) on June 25; Kyiv – Istanbul – Kyiv, Kyiv – Athens – Kyiv, Kyiv – Odesa, Kyiv – Lviv, Kyiv – Kherson on June 26; Kyiv – Istanbul – Kyiv, Dubai – Kyiv on June 28; Kyiv – Tel Aviv – Kyiv, Kherson – Kyiv, Odesa – Kyiv, Lviv – Kyiv on June 29; Kyiv – Amsterdam – Kyiv on June 30.
“The decisive factor in the future planning of UIA flights will be, first of all, the economic feasibility of launching each separate direction, as well as the prospects for further liberalization of the border crossing regime for Ukrainians,” the airline said.
Initially, Ukraine International Airlines intends to focus on the opening of flights and destinations with high tourism and economic potential.
The Irish low cost airline Ryanair (Dublin) has announced the resumption of more than 20 flights to/from Ukraine from July 1 as part of the company’s summer schedule for 2020. According to the company’s press service, some selected routes will be available from the last week of June.
“We are proud to serve four airports in Ukraine, we are looking forward to the reunion of friends and families and the attraction of thousands of tourists, which will help boost the region’s economy and protect thousands of jobs. This is also an opportunity for customers whose spring flights were canceled due to travel restrictions because of coronavirus and who want to redeem their Ryanair vouchers,” Olga Pawlonka, the company’s sales and marketing manager for Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans, said.
Earlier, Ryanair announced plans to resume 40% of all its flights from July 1, which will cover approximately 90% of the route network that operated before the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
From July 1, Anex Tour, the tour operator, will resume daily flight program to Turkey and Azur Air Ukraine will operate flights to Bodrum and Antalya, the tour operator’s press service said on Wednesday, June 10.
The company said that following a phone conversation between the foreign ministers of the two countries, Turkey will open borders for tourists from Ukraine from July 1. The Turkish party said that it will create all the necessary conditions for the safe vacation of Ukrainian citizens in the summer.”
“Turkey, which tops our destinations, will welcome guests from July 1 of this year. It has become an exemplary country in the world, which implemented all the necessary safety measures for tourists and tourism in general. Therefore, we are planning to launch charter flights with Azur Air Ukraine, surely, observing all the rules of safe air travel,” the company’s press service said, citing General Director of Anex Tour Ukraine Ilker Adıgüzel.
Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) will resume flights from Kyiv to Kherson International Airport, the head of Kherson Regional State Administration has said.
“I would like to inform that Ukraine International Airlines will resume flights from Kyiv to Kherson on June 19,” he wrote on his Facebook page.
“Today negotiations with airlines to establish flights between Lviv and Kherson were held. We hope that soon residents of western Ukraine will be able to easily reach our region and enjoy summer in the south,” he said.
Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba and Foreign Minister of Greece Nikolas Dendias in a telephone talk expressed a readiness to resume flights between Ukraine and Greece from July 1 under condition of stable epidemiological situation in two countries, the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine. The foreign ministers of the two countries also exchanged experiences on countering the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus and overcoming the consequences of the pandemic.
Dendias invited Kuleba to pay a working visit to Greece, when circumstances allow. Kuleba accepted the invitation.
He congratulated his colleague on the Greek Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and urged him to give priority to Ukraine’s topics in the focus of attention to this organization. The Greek minister in response assured that Greece has always supported Ukraine’s European integration aspirations.
Hungary’s low-cost airline Wizz Air has announced the launch of the flight on the Salzburg (Austria) – Kyiv – Salzburg line from July 1, 2020.
The press service of the airline said on Friday that the flights will be performed on Wednesdays and Sundays. The cost of the ticket starts from EUR 20.
Along with Kyiv, Wizz Air will start flying from Salzburg to Belgrade, Skopje, Bucharest, Tuzla and Larnaca.
Earlier Wizz Air prolonged the suspension of its operations to and from Ukraine until June 15 inclusively, as a result of the extension of travel restrictions imposed by the Ukrainian government.
