Code-sharing with one flight for UIA, two for Belavia could settle dispute over Kyiv-Minsk route - UIA

KYIV. April 3 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Retaining the code-sharing agreement between Ukraine International Airlines (UIA, Kyiv) and Belavia (Belarus) with three flights a day – one for UIA and two for Belavia – could be the solution to the dispute over the servicing of flights between Kyiv and Minsk, UIA President Yuriy Miroshnykov said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Thursday.

"The situation is bad. We've postponed the plan of our own flights to Minsk for almost two years. We signed a code-sharing agreement with our colleagues from Belavia. Everything was normal between us, and everyone knew that UIA would like to fly sooner or later," he said.

However, when UIA announced its plans to fly to Minsk once a day with Belavia retaining two flights, Belavia announced the termination of the code-sharing agreement, Miroshnykov said.

"I called the Belavia director general several times. I failed to convince him of the erroneousness of this step. We had to ask for the second flight to ensure transit possibilities for our network at Boryspil airport, and we faced a classic model when slots at [Minsk] airport were given so that we failed to provide code-sharing at Boryspil airport in the morning when we fly from Minsk," he said.

He also said that UIA continues to negotiate with Belavia.

"I hope that our colleagues from Belavia will revise their position on code-sharing, as the one-stop solution of the issue would be the retaining of code-sharing with three flights: one flight for UIA and two for Belavia," he said.

As reported, Belavia as of March 31, 2015 received permits to service 14 regular flights a week on the Minsk-Kyiv-Minsk route for the next two weeks.

"This time should be sufficient for our Minsk partners to provide all necessary slots to the carrier, and we hope that our openness and willingness to negotiate will become an additional incentive to do this. Our task is to protect the interests of domestic carriers and Ukraine's interests in all matters relating to air travel," Infrastructure Minister of Ukraine Andriy Pyvovarsky said.

He said that on March 27 Belavia said that the Ukrainian aviation authorities had not given the company permits for flights, thus jeopardizing air service between Kyiv and Minsk. He said that the two countries have an agreement to carry out 14 flights per week by each party. However, over the last two and a half years, Belavia serviced its 14 flights alone, while Ukrainian air carriers did not fly to Minsk, but the State Aviation Service provided them with all the necessary permits for this and airports provided slots.