As of the middle of August, Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) transported 113,345 passengers and 390,185 tonnes of cargo since the resumption of flights in the middle of June.
“Starting from mid-June until mid-August, we carried out around 1,238 regular and charter flights, of which 86% departed on schedule,” UIA President Yevhen Dykhne said on Facebook.
He also recalled that in the first half of the year the UIA transported around 1 million passengers, while last year this index reached almost 4 million.
“This means that aviation in fact has to start from zero, and the interest and persistence of employees alone are worthy of attention,” Dykhne said.
He also said that the airline has a range of plans for autumn, adding that he expects the company’s results would only grow.
As reported, earlier the UIA reduced its August flight schedule due to the extension of a ban on entering the Schengen zone for Ukrainian citizens by the EU.
Ukraine International Airlines (UIA, Kyiv) will operate special flights to New York and Miami (the United States).
According to the press service of the company on Wednesday, July 29, in particular, flights to New York are scheduled for August 3 and August 7 at 11:25, and in Miami for August 5 at 13:00. Flights from New York to Kyiv will be operated on August 3 and August 7 at 17:45, from Miami to Kyiv on August 5 at 23:55 local time.
The airline said that Ukrainians are allowed to enter the United States, subject to 14 days of self-isolation and no visits to the EU countries, Great Britain, Ireland, China, Brazil and Iran over the past 14 days. Passengers from the above countries are prohibited from entering the United States.
In addition, the airline said that travel on these flights will be possible exclusively in economy class. Dogs from 6 to 12 months old are accepted for carriage at the rate of one animal per passenger.
Ukraine International Airlines starts selling tickets for flights to the countries of the Adriatic coast.
Tickets are already available on the airline’s website from $250 in both directions, including hand luggage and one piece of baggage weighing up to 23 kg.
UIA plans to operate flights on the Kyiv-Tirana route from July 24 to September 11 on Tuesdays and Fridays.
“Today, Ukrainian tourists are allowed free entry to the territory of Albania, even without passing PCR test,” UIA noted.
UIA plans to operate flights on the route Kyiv-Tivat on Sundays from July 26 to October 4, and also on Thursdays from July 30 to September 17.
From July 30, 2020 to September 17, 2020, another flight will be added, which will be operated every Thursday at 12:10.
“From July 8, Ukrainian tourists can freely cross the borders of Montenegro without passing a PCR test,” the airline said.
UIA plans to carry out flights on the Kyiv-Split route on Saturdays from July 18 to September 26 this year.
“Today, tourists from Ukraine can cross the Croatian border without a 14-day self-isolation under several conditions: the availability of a negative PCR test, which was done no later than 48 hours, a booked package of services (flight, accommodation, insurance),” UIA noted.
Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) is expanding the list of destinations for July and August 2020 due to the easing by some countries of the border crossing regime for Ukrainian tourists.
According to the press service of the company, domestic flights will be operated in three directions – Kherson, Odesa and Lviv.
So, in the period from July 1 to July 30, UIA will serve domestic flights to Odesa, Lviv and Kherson, flying every Friday to the regions and returning to Kyiv every Sunday. However, in the first half of August, it is planned to change the schedule for the direction Kyiv-Odesa: flights will be operated on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday (Odesa-Kyiv on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday). From August 16 to August 31, a flight to Odesa on Thursdays may also be added.
International flights, as UIA notes, will be operated in the directions of the airline’s regular flight program: Istanbul, Tel Aviv, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris, Dubai, Tbilisi, Batumi, Larnaca, Athens, London, Nice, Rome, Naples, Baku, Berlin, Milan, Munich, Prague, Yerevan, Madrid, Vienna, Barcelona, Chisinau, and there will also be periodic flights to Toronto.
Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) has installed the first laboratory for PCR and antibody tests at Boryspil International Airport (Kyiv region).
UIA President Yevhen Dykhne said on Facebook that now the laboratory will be used to test UIA crews, however, it will also be able to provide for the needs of departing or arriving passengers, if the arrival country requires a corresponding certificate.
“For example, Tunisia, with which air traffic will soon be restored, allows free border crossing with the availability of a PCR test,” he added.
Dykhne said that a PCR test currently has the highest specificity and sensitivity, in contrast to rapid tests. The material for analysis is a throat swab, and the analysis takes three hours. At the same time, a possible simultaneous loading of the laboratory is 96 samples.
In addition, he said the laboratory also provides for the option of an urgent PCR test of one individual sample within 40 minutes and testing for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, which allows to determine the earlier infection and the presence of immunity (the test material is blood from a vein, the speed is 86 tests per hour).
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.
