Airlines service over 290,000 flights in Ukrainian airspace in Jan-Oct
Ukrainian and foreign airlines in January-October 2019 serviced 290,331 flights in the airspace of Ukraine, which is 12.2% more than a year ago, the press service of the Ukrainian State Air Traffic Services Enterprise (UkSATSE) has reported.
According to the enterprise's statistics, Ukrainian airlines serviced 95,210 flights, including 195,121 flights by foreign ones. Both indicators have positive dynamics compared to the same period last year – growth by 3.7% and 16.8%, respectively.
UkSATSE said that after the closure of part of the airspace over the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea, taking into account territorial waters, the closure of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) zone including the buffer zone, and also after the termination of flights between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, the number of flights in the airspace of Ukraine sharply decreased: in 2016, this figure was 214,300 flights, while in 2013 the total number of flights over Ukraine for the year amounted to 534,600.
"The main drop in volumes over the past five years was in transit directions. In January-October this year, the number of transit flights was 58.8% less compared to the same period in 2013. Also, in January-October this year, the number of domestic flights decreased by 17.1% compared to 2013. Upward dynamics was seen only on international flights, the number of which increased by 13.5% compared to 2013," UkSATSE said.
According to the enterprise, since 2017, in general, the situation has gradually begun to improve, although Ukraine has not yet reached the 2013 figures.