UIA sees $5 mln loss in winter navigation period 2014/15 due to Russian transit flight ban
KYIV. April 3 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine International Airlines (UIA, Kyiv) has said that the losses incurred from Ukrainian airlines being banned from servicing transit flights over Russian airspace during the winter navigation 2014/15 (October-March) amounts to $5 million, UIA President Yuriy Miroshnykov said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Thursday.
"The ban on Ukrainian airlines transiting over Russia has complicated our operation models and resulted in the fact that we additionally spent $4 million on fuel in the period of winter navigation, we have problems on the long-haul route Kyiv-Bangkok: when we fly back due to seasonal winter winds blowing from west to east we had situations when we had to leave luggage as we used a very long route bypassing Russia," he said.
As reported, in August 2014 Russia banned Ukrainian airlines from servicing transit flights over its air space.
UIA was founded in 1992. It is the largest Ukrainian airline. Its hub airport is Boryspil (Kyiv). The UIA fleet consists of 31 aircraft, including 27 medium-haul and four long-haul airplanes.