Odesa airport has good prospects, - Minister of Infrastructure

Now the company operates the Doha-Kyiv-Doha flight seven times a week

Qatar Airways, the national airline of Qatar, started operating flights from Ukraine on August 28. Against the backdrop of the scandalous refusal of the Irish carrier Ryanair to enter the Ukrainian market, the arrival of the Qataris is positioned by the authorities as a clear victory, the Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine is sure.

According to public statements by Qatar Airways and the ministry, it is possible that the airline will open new destinations in Ukraine and increase passenger traffic by launching flights twice a day. Currently, the company operates the Doha-Kyiv-Doha flight seven times a week.

Volodymyr Omelyan , Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine, spoke to VoxConnector about what the arrival of the Qatari carrier means for Ukraine and the ministry's future plans for working with foreign investors.

The Ministry of Infrastructure's "compass arrow" is pointing towards global companies. I have repeatedly emphasized, and this is fundamental, that we focus on world-leading companies in various transportation sectors. It is those that set the direction for the development of the global transport and logistics infrastructure that should be in Ukraine. We have to understand that companies' activities have long been not limited to one particular area. If we are talking about global port operators, it is not only a new philosophy of doing business in Ukraine, developing terminal capacities, applying the latest technologies, transferring operations to an automatic mode, but also attracting additional cargo, fighting for international traffic flows, and as a result, strengthening Ukraine's position in the Black Sea basin and building up Ukraine's economic and political muscle. In other words, the arrival of a world leader triggers a whole chain of processes that will eventually bring Ukraine to a new stage of development. This is not a step-by-step reform, it is an opportunity to jump over the chasm," the official said.

Therefore, the visit of such companies as Qatar Airways, Ryanair, Hutchison ports, DP World, General Electric is not only a dynamic development of the transport sector, but also a great achievement for Ukraine as a whole.

"As for Qatar Airways, it is the number one airline in the world in terms of service and safety. This is a marker for many other international market participants, including in the low-cost segment, that it is possible and necessary to work in Ukraine. As for the situation with Ryanair, let's be honest: Ryanair could have left Ukraine as early as this fall. The Ministry has made every possible and impossible effort to do so. But it is not so easy to overcome the monopoly and corruption that have been fostered over the years. It's a pity that Ukraine and Ukrainians are losing time and money because of the dictatorship of a few people who are used to "pumping their rights" in the market. Yes, we failed to sign the agreement with Ryanair at the first attempt, but there will be a second and subsequent attempts if necessary. Because Ryanair is not only the largest and cheapest low-cost carrier in Europe, it is a completely different picture of domestic and international air transportation in Ukraine in three to five to ten years. And this is what we are fighting for. The Prime Minister of Ukraine has been unequivocal: negotiations with Ryanair must be resumed and the agreement signed. So far, I see a simulation of the negotiation process and a delay. But Ryanair will be in Ukraine, and I believe it will be next year. Because the days when "whoever was nobody will become everyone" and dictate to everyone how to live and where and how to fly are over. Only market development and fair competition are the only way for Ukraine to join the developed world. Many airports in Ukraine have very good development prospects," believes Mr. Omelyan.

According to him, Lviv airport is developing dynamically, and the airports of Odesa, Kharkiv, Rivne, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, Zhytomyr and even Chernivtsi, from where it turned out that the flight to Venice takes about an hour, have good prospects.

"Yes, every airport has its own problems and needs, but every question has its own answer. I would like to see low-cost airlines present in the regions, as this would be an incentive for the development of tourism in Ukraine and would also give our citizens the opportunity to travel freely around the world. Low-cost airlines are already gradually flying from regional airports, and this is just the beginning. This year, as of August, we have already seen an increase in passenger traffic of more than 30% compared to last year. That is, the market is developing rapidly, and soon there will come a time when the market will dictate its own rules, and not play by someone else's," theofficial said.

Qatar Airways was recognized as the world's best airline in 2015 and second in the ranking in 2016, according to the Skytrax world ranking.

The airline owns 200 aircraft and operates flights to more than 150 cities around the world.

According to the Ministry of Infrastructure, the company will operate 7 Doha-Kyiv-Doha flights a week from Kyiv with convenient connections to China, India, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

The company was expected in Ukraine as early as 2013, but only now, noting the positive dynamics of passenger transportation and the openness of permitting procedures, the company decided to operate flights.

In October 2016, a delegation of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine and the State Aviation Administration of Ukraine held talks in Qatar, which resulted in the parties reaching an agreement to cancel the limited frequencies for air routes not only from Kyiv but from all cities of Ukraine. This means that the company may increase the number of existing flights and consider launching flights from other Ukrainian cities.

IzbirKom is a partner of the VoxConnector project. The materials were obtained by the editorial board on the basis of exclusivity.