UIA increases passenger transportation by 64% in 2013, doubles fleet

Ukraine International Airlines (UIA, Kyiv) increased passenger transportation by 64% in 2013, to 4.6 million passengers, UIA President Yuriy Miroshnykov has told reporters.

"The results of 2013 were good for us, although the year was difficult. However, we've doubled the fleet to 40 planes and achieved a turnover of nearly $742 million [around UAH 1 billion] and saw a small profit," he said.

Asked about the size of profit, he said that until October 2013 the situation on the market was significantly better, and in October the profit amounted to some $20 million, but that at the end of the year the profit was much less.

"The negative trends for the aviation sector were seen before the political events in the country. The prices of fuel started growing. The negative trends on the charter market were seen, and everything led to the fact that the profit was less than it could have been," the president of the airline said.

Miroshnykov said that the liberalization of the Kyiv-Moscow route affected the results as it led to the sharp fall in the prices.

"In December we saw a shortfall of around $10 million in revenues," he said.

As reported, UIA plans to increase passenger transportation by 30% in 2014, to 5.9 million passengers.

UIA was founded in 1992. It is the largest Ukrainian airline.

Its basis airport is that in Boryspil (Kyiv).

The UIA fleet consists of 40 aircraft: five Embraer-190s, 32 Boeing 737s, and three Boeing 767s.