Despite the fact that flights to and from Ukraine do not take place at present, representatives of the State Aviation Administration of Ukraine (SAAU) continue to actively work on plans not only to resume flights as soon as possible, but also to integrate their systems full with European requirements, reports Latvian Television.
At the end of July, four UAA representatives visited Latvia with the aim of strengthening their knowledge in the field of airfield and air safety monitoring.
"The civil aviation system in Ukraine continues to function, despite the fact that there are no commercial flights. We continue to work not only to maintain our qualifications, but also to successfully cooperate with international partners. I would like to say that this is our joint success," said Lesya Grigorieva, head of the Department of Airports and Airports of Ukraine, said in a conversation with the portal LSM.lv.
The situation is different not only in different areas of the combat zone, but also in commercial aviation. There are airports and airfields that are maintained in working order, but there are others that will not be possible to fly to without their complete restoration. Already in the first hours of the war, the Russian aggressors launched strikes on airports to delay the Ukrainian counterattack. In the west of the country and in the vicinity of Kyiv, airport infrastructure suffered less, as Russian forces wanted to use them to land their soldiers to launch an attack on Kyiv.
When could flights resume?
From time to time in the public space, an announcement of an airline is heard that it is ready to resume flights to Ukraine as soon as it is possible from the safety point of view. In Ukraine, this news is viewed positively, as it shows the desire of the airlines to return to the market, but at the same time it is emphasized that it is not yet known when this could happen.
"Currently, looking at what is happening in Ukraine, we cannot say concretely that we will open the skies to commercial flights on such and such a date. I think no one can say that, because it depends not only on the situation at the front, but also on other aspects, for example, the condition of the particular airports, whether there is an adequate amount of staff to operate these aircraft, all of these issues affect when flights might resume. Of course, I would like to emphasize here that we work with airports to be at their best readiness. That's why we're here to get experience of how you work," said Grigorieva.
Representatives of Ukraine suggest that in theory the first commercial plane could land in Ukraine within three months after the re-opening of airspace. Here, too, it should be emphasized that three months is an approximate time frame, because if the situation in one place is better than expected, then flights could resume even sooner.
"A big role in this matter, I would even like to say that everything is based on the situation at the front. Yes, Boryspil airport near Kyiv is kept in very good working order, but we see that the occupiers continue to attack Kyiv with drones and missiles. The infrastructure plays the smallest role here," says the UAA representative.
Gradual opening
Not only in Western countries, but also in Ukraine, there is an open question – how to re-open the airspace so as not to create security risks. One of the potential options could be the opening of the airspace by sectors, followed by the gradual opening of airports.
"Currently, we are looking at the fact that in the first round we could theoretically open six large airports, but again, theoretically, because not all of them would be able to receive aircraft at once. Regional airports would join these airports over time, but here we would assess the need," said Grigorieva.
Representatives of the SAAU participated in week-long training at Latvia's Civil Aviation Agency (CAA) with the aim of strengthening their knowledge in the field of airport and air safety monitoring.
During the visit, the four-member Ukrainian delegation got acquainted not only with CAA's work in the field of airport and air safety monitoring, but also visited RIX Riga Airport, where they met with the airport's ground handling staff. Also, the Ukrainian side introduced their Latvian partners to their work in war conditions, as well as the activities that are implemented to maintain the qualifications of employees, according to a release from the Latvian Transport Ministry .
"We use the opportunity to gain new knowledge, new experience, and we also focused on observing the European Union regulations in the field of civil aviation surveillance in our daily work, because we will also have to implement these regulations when the airspace opens. It is also important for personnel to raise the qualifications of aviation inspectors," said Grigorieva.
"Latvia and Ukraine have established close relations in the field of civil aviation, taking into account that Ukraine is an important destination for Latvian passengers. With the contribution of our knowledge, strengthening the competence of SAAU, we can help Ukraine to resume civil aviation flights as soon as possible. We work together to ensure that Latvia is one of the first destinations for flights from Ukrainian airports," said CAA director Maris Gorodcovs.
At RIX Riga Airport, the SAAU delegation was introduced to various operating principles aimed at improving passenger experience and service quality, starting from check-in and handing over luggage, up to the departure of planes from the terminal.
