15 October 2008. UIA, the only scheduled air cargo service provider in Ukraine extends cooperation with its international partners and increases the frequency of flights for its new 737-300SF freighter. The first 10 days of operation have seen high demand for the UIA cargo services fully utilizing the aircraft capacity.

October 2008; Kiev, Ukraine – Effective 06 October 2008, Ukraine International Airlines launched a new schedule of cargo flights on the Vienna-Liege-Vienna route in conjunction with the international integrated delivery service provider TNT and as an extension of it’s existing Kiev – Vienna – Kiev route. The daily service between these Austrian and Belgian destinations are operated Monday to Friday using the Boeing 737-300SF freighter aircraft that entered service with UIA in June of this year.

The launch of this scheduled freighter service that connects key Western European cargo hubs was made possible after signing of a code sharing agreement - when two or more airlines use a common flight number to provide services on a given route - with TNT on 06 August 2008. The compatibility of both Boeing 737 cargo fleets and support systems and UIA’s high safety and quality standards were also important reason for the partnership.

According to the agreement UIA operates daily Monday to Friday freighter flights on the Kiev-Vienna-Liege-Vienna-Kiev route. The daily Kiev-Vienna-Kiev cargo flights are operated by UIA jointly with Austrian Airlines and connect with the Vienna-Liege-Vienna flights operated by UIA with TNT Express to provide a seamless freight operation.

The scheduled freighter flight on the Kiev-Vienna-Kiev route has been operated by UIA jointly with Austrian Cargo, a freight services division of Austrian Airlines, since late 2003. The route was initially served by a specially modified Antonov 12 aircraft, with just one return flight per week. Due to the unprecedented demand in high-quality cargo services, this was increased to 5 flights per week. The addition of the Boeing 737-300SF freighter to UIA’s fleet has ensured a much smoother operation and gives both partners clear competitive advantages. The aircraft features a fully compatible modern loading system and has an overall capacity of 18,000 kg with a maximum volume of 120 m3. The aircraft has 9 upper floor pallet positions on which all conventional aircraft cargo pallets can be loaded. This enables the two airlines to forward freight as quickly as possible without the need for additional ground handling.

“This latest addition of a modern, world-standard freighter aircraft to UIA’s fleet has substantially strengthened our transport capacities making us a unique partner in this region for TNT and making our cargo product portfolio even more attractive” said Peter Kukharchuk, UIA Logistics and Cargo Director. “In the three months the freighter is in operation we have witnessed that the Boeing 737-300SF is much more fuel efficient, environmentally-friendly and costs less to operate and maintain compared to our previous aircraft.”

To meet the constantly growing demand for the airline’s high-value transport services and to expand the product offerings within the renewed Cargo Solutions Portfolio, UIA is planning to bring an additional Boeing 737-300SF to their fleet in early 2009.

Press-office of Ukraine International Airlines
Tel/fax: (044) 238-2697
E-mail: press.service@flyuia.com

Ukraine International Airlines is Ukraine’s leading international carrier. Founded in 1992, UIA was one of the first businesses in Ukraine to attract foreign investment. UIA was the first airline in CIS to introduce Boeing 737 aircraft. Today UIA’s fleet consists of 16 modern Boeing 737 aircrafts.

The airline connects Ukraine with nearly 3,000 locations of the world, operating about 350 scheduled flights a week to London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Berlin, Frankfurt, Vienna, Zurich, Rome, Milan, Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon, Helsinki, Dubai, Kuwait, Tbilisi, Morastir, Odessa, Lviv and Simferopol. The base airport for UIA is Kiev-Boryspil (KBP).

The shareholdings in Ukraine International Airlines are as follows: State Property Fund of Ukraine – 61.6%, Austrian Airlines – 22.5%, Aer Cap – 6% and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) – 9.9%. Detailed information about UIA is available at www.flyUIA.com

TNT provides businesses and consumers worldwide with an extensive range of services for their mail and express delivery needs. Headquartered in Amsterdam, TNT offers efficient network infrastructures in Europe and Asia and is expanding operations worldwide to maximise its network performance. TNT serves more than 200 countries and employs more than 161,500 people. Over 2007, TNT reported EUR 11 billion in revenues and an operating income of EUR 1,192 million. TNT is listed on the Amsterdam stock exchange. The company recognises its social responsibility, and has formed partnerships with the United Nations World Food Programme and the United Nations Environmental Programme to fight hunger and pollution.