UIA passenger numbers fall 11% in 2014-2015 winter navigation period
KYIV. April 3 (Interfax-Ukraine) - Ukraine International Airlines (UIA, Kyiv), during the 2014-2015 winter navigation period (October-March), saw passenger numbers fall by 11%, to 1.647 million people compared to the 2013-2014 winter navigation period, which corresponds to the downward trend in Ukrainian air transportation.
UIA President Yuriy Miroshnykov said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine that in the reporting period the company made 7,949 flights: 6,806 international, including 178 long-haul, 889 domestic, and 254 charter flights. This figure is 13.8% less than the winter navigation period of 2013-2014.
The average occupancy of flights was 74.5%, the average share of transit passengers - 40%.
"It was the first winter [navigation period] with flights excluding the powerful regions of Crimea and Donbas," he said, adding that with this in mind, the company has lost about 120,000 passengers.
"However, in March this year, for the first time in the 12 months we achieved a small percentage of positive dynamics in passenger traffic," he added.