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.
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.
Ukraine International Airlines (UIA, Kyiv) intends to operate medium-haul international point-to-point flights capable of demonstrating substantial passenger load without transit feeding, the airline said in a Thursday press release.
The airline said that the airline expects to resume operations by referencing the best case scenario provided that the entry/exit restrictions for both Ukrainian and foreign nationals are lifted effective June 15, 2020.
UIA predicted that Ukraine International’s passenger traffic will decrease by approximately 46%, i.e., down to 1.9 million passengers (of which 0.986 million have already been carried before the lockdown).
At stage one – through April 2021 – the carrier intends to operate medium-haul international point-to-point flights capable of demonstrating substantial passenger load without transit feeding. Ukraine international expects to resume domestic operations. At stage two, as soon as passenger traffic is regenerated, the airline will restore minimal international route network.
UIA said that long-haul operations may be resumed after critical feeding flights are re-introduced to the schedule – in or about April 2021.
“Right after Ukraine International resumes operations, the airline plans to operate 14 aircraft, gradually increasing the number up to 28. The long-haul fleet will be optimized with due allowance for the necessities of stage one. Later on, based on the traffic and market landscape (namely drop in demand for long-haul aircraft), the carrier will decide on extending its widebody fleet,” the airline said.
To perform efficiently on the post-pandemic market, Ukraine International introduces changes to its base product.
“The airline plans to facilitate its fare policy, cut down business class capacity, increase the sales share via the website, and offer customers full-cycle service on the website providing passengers with an opportunity to make changes in their bookings. The airline is committed to increasing fleet operation and cutting costs while preserving substantial transit potential,” UIA said.
From May 1 to May 9, 2020, Ukraine International Airlines of Ukraine (UIA) will operate 11 special international flights for the repatriation of Ukrainian citizens and non-residents from abroad who have the right to enter our country.
The UIA press service said on Tuesday that the ticket sale will be opened for the following special flights:
– May 1, 2020: Amsterdam – Kyiv, Tel Aviv – Kyiv;
– May 3, 2020: Geneva – Kyiv, Dubai – Kyiv, Sharm El Sheikh – Kyiv;
– May 5, 2020: Toronto – Kyiv, Dortmund – Kyiv, Prague – Kyiv;
– May 7, 2020: Madrid – Kyiv, Milan – Kyiv;
– May 9, 2020: Munich – Kyiv.
In addition, foreign citizens, respectively, will be able to use UIA flights backward for departure from Ukraine on the same dates.
The commission of the State Aviation Service of Ukraine has decided to recommend the head of the authority to authorize Windrose to operate the Dnipro-Berlin (Germany) line for regular flights for an indefinite period of time (three times a week), according to a posting on the website of the regulator.
In addition, Jonica Airlines was allowed to fly from Odesa to Prague (Czech Republic) from March 29, 2020 for an unlimited period four times a week, Eleron Airlines from Lviv to Tel Aviv (Israel) from April 1 three times a week, SkyUp from Odesa to Istanbul (Turkey) for an unlimited period of time four times a week, and Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) from Zaporizhia to Larnaca (Cyprus) for an unlimited period of time twice a week.
In addition, it was decided to increase the number of Windrose’s flights on the following lines: Kyiv-Dnipro-Kyiv (from 21 to 26 flights per week), Kyiv-Odesa-Kyiv (from three to 21 flights per week), Kyiv-Mykolaiv-Kyiv (from five to seven flights per week). The number of Azur Air Ukraine flights on the routes Kyiv-Dalaman (Turkey)-Kyiv (from two to five flights a week) and Kyiv-La Romana (Dominican Republic)-Kyiv (from two to five flights a week) has also been increased.
At the same time, the State Aviation Service left the Windrose’s application without consideration regarding obtaining rights to operate the following lines: Kyiv-Zaporizhia-Kyiv, Kyiv-Odesa-Kyiv, Kyiv-Lviv-Kyiv, Kyiv-Kherson-Kyiv, Kyiv-Kharkiv-Kyiv (all – three flights a week), as well as Kyiv-Dnipro-Kyiv (five flights a week).
In addition, the regulator decided not to allow SkyUp to obtain rights to operate the Kyiv-Venice (Italy)-Kyiv (two flights a week), Lviv-Venice-Lviv (two flights a week), Kyiv-Istanbul-Kyiv (three flights a week), Kyiv-Prague-Kyiv (seven flights a week) and Azur Air Ukraine to operate the Kyiv-Istanbul-Kyiv (seven flights a week) and Kyiv-Bodrum (Turkey)-Kyiv lines.
Ukraine International Airlines (UIA, Kyiv) does not feel a decrease in passenger traffic due to information about the active spread of coronavirus, the airline’s press service has told Interfax-Ukraine.
“There are passengers with tickets for flights to Italy who requested to re-arrange their flights for later dates. We do this as an exception to a term of two months from the original date. But there are very few of them,” the press service said.
According to UIA, in total, there were 26 such requests through the airline’s Facebook page, of which five returns were issued, and 21 tickets were reissued for other dates.
At the same time, UIA does not currently plan to limit the flight program to Italy.
As reported, the Hungarian low cost airline Wizz Air reduces the number of flights to Italy from March 11 to April 2, 2020 due to a decrease in demand because of coronavirus.
