The war in Ukraine has hit aviation there so hard that no one knows what will happen next. The fact that the Russian army deliberately damages or destroys civilian airports is particularly problematic for the industry. It is unpredictable when Ukraine can be reconnected to air traffic.
Piotr Ikanowicz, CFO of Ukraine International Airlines, said in a speech at an aviation conference in Cluj, Romania, that the condition of those fleet members who could not be taken out of the country in time is also completely unclear. One simply does not know whether the planes are still intact or whether they will still be so at the end of the war. But the manager finds the suffering that the civilian population has to endure even worse. This mortal danger is exposed every day and due to the war there is a lack of the simplest everyday goods. The population is therefore grateful for any support donated by people from other countries.
Problems started with Corona
For Ukrainian airlines, however, the problems began long before the military attack by the Russian Federation. The corona pandemic has hit the carriers and airports financially hard and of course they have not yet been able to recover from it. As soon as there was a slight upswing, lessors increasingly withdrew their machines because they were afraid for their property. In this context, Piotr Ikanowicz sharply criticized Russia's behavior: Both in Ukraine and in Russia, the majority of aircraft are leased. The Russians would literally expropriate the Lessors, because most of the leased machines are simply not returned at all. This will have long-term consequences, because after the war Russian carriers will have big problems when it comes to western planes.
Tourism, business trips and everything else that used to be relevant is no longer relevant for Ukraine International Airlines. It's all about the survival of the employees. You hope that as a company you will survive and eventually take off again, but right now that's all something that's out of reach due to the war. The tourism destination Ukraine would suffer serious damage anyway, because there are also cancellations for autumn 2022. “Does that surprise anyone? Who would want to voluntarily go on vacation in a country where there is a war," said Ikanowicz. “The airports are already badly damaged and it will take some time after the war before they can be used again. Something completely different is important now: Please support the Ukrainian civilian population. We are grateful for any help, even if it can only donate very little. Any support helps people”.
SkyUp CCO: “We only have one plane in Ukraine”
SkyUp Chief Commercial Officer Lyudmyla Slobodyanyuk explained in Cluj, among other things, that they had managed to get all the planes out of the country, with one exception. These would currently be parked all over the world. The employees will continue to be paid their salaries "as long as we are still financially able to do so," she added. Similar to Ukraine International Airlines, it was hit hard by Corona and has no income due to the war. Nevertheless, the employees are not left hanging and an effort is made to be able to provide them with everyday goods. Much would also be donated by foreign airline friends.
Of course, SkyUp wants to fly again as soon as possible, but it is absolutely impossible to predict when that will be possible again. The priority at the moment is the bare survival of the people and only when the war is over can a comeback in aviation be seriously planned. They want to symbolically paint "Stop the war" on an airplane and hope that other airlines will copy it in order to be able to send a clear and unmistakable signal to the world.
Efforts will also be made to land ACMI orders for the fleet in order to be able to give employees work abroad and, of course, to be able to earn money for wages. Since, as a so-called third-country carrier, you are not allowed to fly within the European Union, SkyUp hopes that the EU Commission will accommodate the airlines of Ukraine and at least allow them to carry out wet lease orders. But no signal has yet been received from Brussels. It is therefore completely uncertain when the aircraft of this carrier will take off again. Nothing is known about the condition of the only machine located in Ukraine. Slobodyanyuk also asked him on behalf of her compatriots for donations of all kinds of relief supplies. "No matter what, no matter how much, everything helps the people," says the manager.
Kherson airport boss: “My heart is bleeding”
Vitaliy Kucheruk, Managing Director of Kherson Airport, which was occupied by the Russian Federation army, reported on the current state of affairs at the airport where he actually landed. He no longer has access to this and since then the employees have been completely without pay. Their houses would be mostly destroyed and the conditions would be generally unbearable. Added to this is the inglorious behavior of the Russians, who now want to push through a kind of “people's republic” that the people don't want at all.
His heart bleeds when he sees that the airport, which should have reopened on March 27, 2022 after extensive renovations, is badly damaged or largely destroyed and is also being used by the Russians for attacks against Ukraine. According to satellite images, the Russians would have attack helicopters and tanks on site. The ukraine army is trying to recapture the airport, so that the complete destruction is to be expected. This fate also threatens other airports in Ukraine.
The civilian population now needs all kinds of relief supplies and would be grateful for everything that was donated by the free world. In particular, the military needs Soviet-made missile defense systems and military aircraft. There simply isn't enough time to train the pilots on modern machines like the Eurofighter. “The war is here, it's cruel, inhumane and Ukraine didn't want it. Unfortunately, diplomacy didn't find a solution and now the war is here because Putin thinks the Ukrainians will happily welcome his troops. A serious mistake by Mr. Putin,” said Kucheruk.
Düsseldorf boss: “War has global effects”
The aviation industry is also feeling the effects of the war outside of Ukraine, according to Düsseldorf Managing Director Lars Mosdorf. "The scale of the war is unimaginably large and has global repercussions," said the manager during the aviation conference in Cluj. The industry has not recovered at all from the effects of the corona pandemic because loans have to be repaid. These will weigh on results for several years to come.
Airlines and airports are faced with sharply increased costs in almost all areas. Fuel is the most obvious factor, but the airspace closures and associated detours have other unanticipated effects. As the aircraft fly longer, they require more fuel and can carry less cargo. Those effects would show up over time. Also, special aircraft of Russian and Ukrainian cargo airlines are no longer available, which is also complicated for certain cargo goods.
Düsseldorf had around half a million Ukraine passengers a year. These would be eliminated due to the war. In addition, according to airlines, destinations in the direction of Eastern Europe are currently underbooked, while demand in the west is said to be high.