With escalating tension between Russia and Ukraine, two Ukrainian carriers have revealed that they have encountered problems in securing flight insurance for several internal flights. Many foreign carriers have already begun to avoid Ukrainian airspace.
Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) has confirmed that it has been notified by its insurers concerning internal flights. “UIA is making efforts and is constantly negotiating with insurance companies, the ministry of infrastructure of Ukraine, the state aviation administration and hopes for mutual understanding,” the Ukrainian airline said in a statement. The Ukrainian government has allocated approximately £440 million to ensure flight safety for insurance and leasing companies to guarantee continuation of flights through its airspace.
On Saturday, low-cost carrier SkyUp was forced to divert one of its flights from Portugal but has since reached an agreement with the Ukrainian government. “Negotiations with insurers have been difficult and our foreign partners continue to regularly assess their own risks and monitor the situation,” the airline said in a statement.
Many long-haul carriers are now avoiding Ukrainian airspace, with KLM also cancelling all flights to Ukraine and Lufthansa considering suspending all flights. UIA currently has a fleet of 25 aircraft, of which five Boeing 737-800s have been flown to Spain as a result of requests by leasing companies, and two are currently in Serbia undergoing scheduled maintenance. The future plans for the rest of its fleet remain fluid.
