Aerosvit Ukrainian Airlines Overview and Operations

Aerosvit Ukrainian Airlines was a major Ukrainian airline that operated from 1994 to 2013. It was founded by a group of entrepreneurs who had a vision to create a reliable and efficient air transportation service for Ukraine.

Aerosvit's fleet consisted of several aircraft types, including Boeing 737-800 and Airbus A319-100 jets, which were used for both domestic and international flights.

The airline's main hub was located at Boryspil International Airport in Kyiv, Ukraine, and it also operated flights from other Ukrainian airports.

Aerosvit Ukrainian Airlines was a significant player in Ukraine's aviation industry, offering a range of services to its customers.

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Aerosvit Ukrainian Airlines was facing severe financial difficulties, with a debt of US$534 million as of December 27, 2012, which was three times the value of its assets.

The airline's debt was so significant that it had to suspend flights in March 2012, and by December 2012, it had a huge debt to its creditors, amounting to 403 million Euro.

Aerosvit's financial struggles were evident in its losses, which mounted to ₴ 1,456 billion in 2011, a threefold increase year-on-year.

The airline's last profitable year was 2007, and despite attempts to restructure, it filed for bankruptcy on December 29, 2012.

The bankruptcy proceedings were initiated due to a debt of US$1.5 million to Rosaviatsia, which led to the airline's ban from operating in Russia.

As of January 2013, the airline had to return its Boeing 737s to the lessors, and by February 2013, it planned to cut about 1,800 jobs, including all Boeing 737-related staff.

The airline's financial troubles were so severe that some European airports refused to allow Aerosvit flights, including Tbilisi, Prague, St. Petersburg, and Stockholm.

Aerosvit's debt was so significant that its hub airport, Kiev's Boryspil International, threatened to stop servicing the airline's flights if outstanding bills were not paid by January 9.

Additional reading: Companies Act 2013

Aerosvit Ukrainian Airlines had a diverse fleet of aircraft throughout its history.

The airline operated a range of planes, including the Airbus A320-200 and the Embraer 190.

At its peak, the airline's fleet consisted of over a dozen different aircraft types.

A notable addition to the fleet was the Antonov An-148-100B, which was introduced in June 2013 as part of a new livery.

Here's a list of some of the aircraft that were part of Aerosvit's fleet:

AeroSvit Ukrainian Airlines operates a range of routes, including international flights. The airline has plans to launch a new route from Odessa to Berlin, which will be served four times a week.

This new route will be operated with Embraer ERJ 190 aircraft, which the airline has on order. AeroSvit has 10 ERJ 190s on order, indicating a significant expansion of its fleet.

The airline also operates the Antonov An-148 on domestic routes and plans to start using it internationally next month.

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AeroSvit Ukrainian Airlines is launching a new route on March 25, 2012.

The Odessa-Berlin (Tegel) route will be operated four times a week.

This new route will be served by the Embraer ERJ 190, a modern and efficient aircraft.

AeroSvit has 10 ERJ 190s on order, which will be used to operate this and other routes.

The Embraer ERJ 190 is a popular choice for regional flights due to its comfort and reliability.

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AeroSvit Airlines offered non-scheduled or charter air carriage from 1994 to 2004.

The airline's charter activities began with summer-only flights to the Greek island of Crete.

In 1998, AeroSvit Airlines started flying to Antalya, Turkey, which became a popular charter destination.

New charter routes to Hurghada, Egypt, were opened in early 1999, and soon after, flights to Bulgaria, Tunisia, and other countries were added.

AeroSvit Airlines increased its volume of charter air carriage significantly, flying to traditional summer resorts as well as winter skiing resorts in Austria, France, Finland, Turkey, and Slovakia.

After adding Boeing 767-300ERs to its fleet, AeroSvit Airlines expanded its charter flights to the Maldives, Tenerife, the Dominican Republic, Indonesia, and other exotic locales.

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As we dive into the operations and routes of the airline, let's take a closer look at the traffic and statistics that give us a glimpse into their performance over the years.

The passenger load factor has fluctuated between 65.7% and 72.9% from 2005 to 2010, with a noticeable dip in 2006 and 2008.

One of the key indicators of an airline's efficiency is its revenue passenger km, which increased from 3,265.4 million in 2005 to 3,966.6 million in 2010.

Here's a breakdown of the airline's traffic and statistics over the years:

The airline's revenue tonne km also saw a steady increase, from 366.6 million in 2005 to 452.1 million in 2010.

The number of employees has fluctuated over the years, ranging from 1,575 in 2005 to 2,072 in 2010.

The airline's revenue passenger km per employee has remained relatively stable, with a slight dip in 2006 and 2009.

In 2010, Aerosvit added a second Antonov 148 aircraft to its fleet and opened new routes including Odesa-Kaliningrad.

The airline's expansion led to the opening of 21 new international routes, including Bucharest and Yerevan, in 2010.

A codeshare agreement was signed with Hainan Airlines in 2010, covering operations on the Kyiv-Beijing route.

A direct air link between Ukraine and Vietnam was established in December 2011 with the addition of Ho Chi Minh City to the route network.

Aerosvit took delivery of its first Boeing 737-800 in March 2012, marking a significant upgrade to its fleet.

The airline received the first of its ordered Embraer 190 aircraft in the first quarter of 2012, with deliveries continuing into 2013 or 2014.

By June 2012, Aerosvit had introduced their first Embraer 190, which was operated by partner-airline Dniproavia.

A contract was signed with Boeing for the delivery of 4 Boeing 737-900ER aircraft in 2013-2014, further expanding Aerosvit's fleet.

A fourth Boeing 767 was added to the fleet, increasing the airline's capacity for long-haul flights.

Additional reading: Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013

Aerosvit Ukrainian Airlines had a distinctive visual identity throughout its existence. The company's logo and liveries underwent several changes over the years.

The first logo was used from 1994 to 1999, but unfortunately, no image is available to show you what it looked like. The second logo was introduced in 1999 and remained in use until 2003.

The most recognizable logo, with a blue bird wing inside a yellow circle, was used from 2003 to 2013. This logo became a symbol of the company and inspired the name Aerosvit Airlines.

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