Airlines and passengers curse monopolist Kolomoisky

Oligarch Igor Kolomoisky established monopoly control over the Ukrainian air transportation market, after Euromaidan he managed to squeeze out foreign low-cost companies that provided cheap air travel to the EU.

Industry representatives announced this at a press conference in Kyiv.

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As an example, they cited Denis Antonyuk, who was recently dismissed from his post as chairman of the State Aviation Service of Ukraine.

Before his appointment to public office, Antonyuk held senior positions in the Ukrainian International Airlines company, owned by the Privat group.

“In December last year, I stated at a press conference that Boryspil airport would go bankrupt as a result of its transfer to UIA,” says Rodrigue Merhej, president of UM Air. – Many did not believe it, since this is a strategic, profitable enterprise. But my words turn into reality. A competition was announced for the lease of the only hangar on the territory of the airport, the conditions of which were written in such a way that only UIA could fulfill them.

I think the next one will be Terminal D, which was built at a great expense. If urgent measures are not taken at the level of the country's leadership, terminal D will be transferred to UIA. This raises issues of the safety of the country's top officials - the president's plane is refueled by this group, is in a hangar under the control of this group, and takes off from the airport where the management belongs to this group. And the head of the State Aviation Service also belongs to them.”

“I’ll give you more signs of how harmful this merger of a large oligarchic group, whose interests are represented by one company, with state power is,” said Alexey Ovchinnikov, flight director of Khors airline. – When Denis Yuryevich Antonyuk was appointed head of the State Aviation Service, the first thing he did (naturally, this was done by order of his head) was to block the appointment of any other air group. I mean order No. 245 of the Ministry of Infrastructure. Based on this, a commission met, considered, voted, and a decision was made to give something to the airlines, and not to give something. Two such meetings were held, two such protocols were issued, in which there were a lot of appointments. For example, the airline Wizz Air Ukraine was assigned the direction Kyiv-Budapest, the airline Atlasjet, which was going to start its work here, was assigned to Tel Aviv. What did this executive who received instructions from his boss do? without any reason, he simply did not sign the order to issue these appointments.”

Due to such actions, the low-cost carrier Wizz Air Ukraine was forced to leave Ukraine. And Ukraine International Airlines began to actually turn into a monopolist in the air transportation market, which led to an increase in ticket prices.

“In one of the interviews, UIA co-owner Aron Mayberg, in response to the journalist’s words that UIA is a monopolist, said: “What, is ‘monopolist’ a curse word?” – says Rodrigue Mergej. –  I will say that for him this is a victory, but for the Ukrainian people it is the death of Ukrainian aviation. Have you seen the prices for flights to Odessa? 50 minutes – $300 one way. We flew parallel with them, our round-trip tickets were sold for $220. How much should a one-way ticket to Odessa cost then? 50 dollars. And it costs 300. That’s what a monopolist is.”

The prime minister himself is lobbying for the interests of Kolomoisky’s company in the aviation industry, says Rodrigue Mergej.

“We are talking about our authorities, the government, directly Mr. Yatsenyuk, because we all understand perfectly well that he personally protected this whole scheme. Today, only after the involvement of Mr. Saakashvili, it was possible to set a preliminary point,” he says.

Although Antonyuk was recently removed from his post, and Eduard Demin, recommended by the Association of Aviation Industry Enterprises, was appointed acting in his place, this did not reassure the air carriers.

“The association recommended Demin for the post of head of the State Aviation Service. The Cabinet of Ministers appointed him, but for some reason only acting. Was it really impossible to appoint immediately? They are just buying time until we calm down so we can do it our way again,” said Rodrigue Mergej.