UIA welcomes the Open Skies agreement between Ukraine and the US

Ukraine International Airlines (UIA), 
Kyiv, Ukraine, Fri, July, 17, 2015 

UkraineInternational Airlines welcome the conclusion of the Open Skies agreementbetween Ukraine and the United States of America and regards it to be anoverwhelmingly important stage of Ukraine`s integration into global aviationcommunity. 

The Open Skies agreement promotes increased traveland trade, enhances productivity, and spurs high-quality job opportunities andeconomic growth. Thus, the new agreement eliminates government interference inthe commercial decisions of carriers about routes, capacity, and pricingallowing carriers to provide more affordable, convenient, and efficient airservice. 

By granting carriers unlimited access to thepartner country, the Open Skies agreement also provides flexibility foralliance partners while supporting high standards for operational safety andsecurity, as well as quality management. Thisagreement strengthens bilateral economic ties and facilitates the growth ofpassenger carriage between the United States and Ukraine. It is an example ofthe strong bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two countries. 

UIA expresses confidence that the agreement`sconclusion and entry into legal force will fuel aviation development since itallows wide latitude when choosing routes, aircraft types, frequencies, ticketfares and operation models. As the only Ukraine`s carrier that is currentlyoperating non-stop scheduled flights connecting Ukraine and the USA, UIAintends to seize the new opportunities to extend its route network in the US. 

“Deregulation of the Ukraine – US aviationmarket is in line with the latest global trends, – noted Yuri Miroshnikov, UIAPresident. – We are confident this step will boost competition allowing notonly UIA but other carriers – both Ukrainian and North American – to takeadvantage of the agreement and plan their operations and business moreefficiently. We welcome the conclusion of the Open Skies agreement and are veryoptimistic about the future. 

We appreciate professionalism and efforts ofthe President and the Government of Ukraine, Ministry of Foreign Affairs ofUkraine and Diplomatic Mission of Ukraine in the US, the Minister ofInfrastructure of Ukraine and the Head of Civil Aviation Administration ofUkraine since their dedication and perseverance led to such an impressivebreakthrough. On behalf of the UIA team let me express profound gratitude toeverybody involved”. 

Simultaneously, signing of the Agreement on Common Aviation Areabetween Ukraine and the European Union has become the issue of the highest importance to Ukraine, Ukrainian carriers, andpassengers. Currently, the case of Gibraltar-related formulation is theonly impediment to the Agreement conclusion while there are no barriers on thepart of Ukraine. 

UIA expects theEuropean Union to commence the procedure as soon as possible. Beyond that,deregulation of air traffic between Ukraine and the East is also of criticalimportance. Gaining access to the overregulated eastern markets is essentialfor further development of our country`s transit potential. It will allowgradually opening the eastern aviation markets and expanding flightopportunities between Europe and Asia. 

Detailedinformation on UIA is available on the website www.flyuia.com