Kolomoisky’s UIA Indepted to UkSATSE
Ukrainian International Airlines owed ₴1 billion to UkSATSE.
According to Business.Censor, this was disclosed in the interview of Andrii Yarmak, Acting Director of UkSATSE, to СTS.
“The general figures are like that, but this amount includes charges for services provided, penalties and current payments,” Yarmak confirmed.
“After my appointment to the post, we stepped up our dialogue. The airline has resumed payment, but we are waiting for a proposal on how it plans to restructure its financial obligations,” he proceeded.
He also mentioned that no other airline had debts to UkSATSE.
“As a rule, all airlines pay their bills on time,” Yarmak added.
In an interview with RBC-Ukraine, Minister of Infrasructure Vladyslav Krykliy said that UIA was discussing the debt repayment schedule with UkSATSE.
As reported, UIA increased loss 8.9 times to ₴2.7 billion in 2018.
The UIA company was founded in 1992. According to the NSSMC and the Unites State Register of Legal Entities, Individual Entrepreneurs and Public Organizations, 100% of the company is directly or indirectly controlled by Cyprus company Ontobet Promotions Limited. Its beneficiaries are not disclosed. One of the ultimate beneficiaries is known to be oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky. He said he owns 25% of the airline.
The UIA leadership repeatedly demanded state compensation for the companies’ losses, referring to the necessity to fly around Eastern Ukraine, Crimea and the Russian Federation, high excise taxes on aviation fuel and inflated rates for air navigation services.
UIA co-owner Aron Mayberg said that over the past five years, the airline had overpaid $216 million due to the need to fly around Eastern Ukraine, Crimea and Russia’s territories.
At the same time, the debt of the Ukrainian International Airlines (UIA) to Boryspil International Airport State Enterprise totals around ₴300 million. In addition, the company is in arrears to the State Aviation Administration of Ukraine — that is being challenged in the courts.
Currently, UIA operates 42 airliners of various modifications, including 28 medium-haul Boeing 737 NG aircraft with the average age of 9.7 years. UIA fleet’s total average age amounts to 11.6 years.
UIA operates over 1100 scheduled flights per week. The base airport for UIA is Kyiv Boryspil (KBP).
