Ukraine to establish new national airline

In a bid to revive the aviation sector in Ukraine that once produced the largest aircraft in the world, the Antonov An-225. At the “Big Construction: Aviation & Tourism” forum in Boryspil International Airport which was held on Thursday, November 25th, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky signed off on plans to create a brand new, state-owned airline.

While the new national carrier doesn’t have a name yet, Ukrainian National Airlines is viewed as a firm favourite, but also has strong similarities with its potential rival Ukraine International Airlines. Mr Zelensky stated that there are “several working titles,” however, the symbolic name should represent the country’s long history.

The Ukrainian President also highlighted the weakness of the country’s current aviation market and its over-reliance on private carriers for air transport. This has ultimately fueled the government’s intention to intervene and invest in the aviation sector once again.

In addition to establishing a brand new airline, the President also revealed investment plans for different infrastructure projects throughout the country that will support and reinforce the tourism sector of Ukraine for years to come.

According to the Ukrainian President, the infrastructure plans include “new runways and new terminals in Chernivtsi, Rivne, Zhytomyr, Kryvyi Rih, Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Odesa Region, Kherson, Vinnytsia, Poltava. As well as new airports in the region of Zakarpattia and Eastern Ukraine,” Mr Zelensky added.

The move to transform Ukraine’s air travel capacity will require large cash injections, which are already budgeted for in the national economic agenda.

According to the country’s Infrastructure Minister, Oleksander Kubrakov, UAH 500m (USD$18.5m) will be allocated for the creation of the airline company this year, while an additional UAH 2.5bn (USD$925m) will be invested into the carrier over the coming years.

Mr Kubrakov believes the state has a well-developed business plan and there is enough space in the market for the airline to grow and expects it to make a profit in around five years time.

During the forum, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Ministry of Infrastructure and Airbus. The agreement will see the new state-owned airlines being supplied with a total of 22 aircraft comprising of up to 18 narrow-body jets, 6 A220s and 12 A320s as well as other 4 A330s or A350s for long-haul routes.

Airbus Vice President for Europe and Central Asia, Kimon Sotiropoulus said that they see Ukraine as a “country that has great potential for tourism, business and any new opportunities, there is great potential for creating a new carrier.”

Only time will tell if these ambitious plans will make the country’s skies more competitive and put Kyiv on the map as one of “the most powerful Eastern European air hubs,” while reinvigorating the county’s previously well-known aviation sector.

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