{"id":63112,"date":"2024-05-21T01:53:42","date_gmt":"2024-05-20T23:53:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/libmod.de\/?p=63112"},"modified":"2024-05-29T13:26:39","modified_gmt":"2024-05-29T11:26:39","slug":"the-future-of-aviation-ukraine-is-ready-for-take-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/libmod.de\/en\/the-future-of-aviation-ukraine-is-ready-for-take-off\/","title":{"rendered":"The Future of Aviation: Ukraine is ready for Take-off"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Despite the ongoing war Ukraine is deter\u00admined to rebuild its aviation industry and enable its citizens to travel by air again. On 8 May, the Centre for Liberal Modernity discussed the future of the Ukrainian aviation industry with European and Ukrainian experts. The most urgent needs are: trainings for staff, funds (loans or direct aid) as well as air defence systems and munition. Lukas Daubner summarised the results of the discussion here.<\/h2>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_gallery interval=\u201c3\u201d images=\u201c63094,63096,63098,63102,63104,63100,63106,63108\u201d img_size=\u201cfull\u201d css=\u201c\u201d][vc_column_text css=\u201c\u201d]The status quo of the Ukrainian aviation sector was presented by a number of experts during our round table discussion The Future of Ukraine\u2019s Aviation Sector<\/em>. Among them were Yurii Kisiel<\/strong>, MP, Head of the Committee on Transport and Infra\u00adstructure, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Yulia Klymenko<\/strong>, MP, Vice chair of the Committee on Transport and Infra\u00adstructure, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Petro Pavlovsky<\/strong>, MP, Head of the Subcom\u00admittee for Aviation, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Serhiy Derkach<\/strong>, Deputy Minister for Commu\u00adnities, Terri\u00adtories and Infra\u00adstructure Devel\u00adopment of Ukraine, Oleksandr Bilchuk<\/strong>, Head of the State Aviation Admin\u00adis\u00adtration of Ukraine, Oleksii Dubrevskyi<\/strong>, CEO, Boryspil Inter\u00adna\u00adtional Airport, Tetiana Romanovska<\/strong>, CEO, Lviv Danylo Halytskyi Inter\u00adna\u00adtional Airport, Viktor Konarev<\/strong>, Head of the Project Imple\u00admen\u00adtation Department of the Marketing and Sales Direc\u00adtorate of State Enter\u00adprise Antonov.<\/p>\n

From the German and inter\u00adna\u00adtional side partic\u00adi\u00adpated repre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtives from the German Aerospace Indus\u00adtries Associ\u00adation, German Aviation Associ\u00adation, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, German Aerospace Center, Airbus, Boeing as well as repre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtives from further companies.<\/p>\n

On 8 February 2024, 16,000 civilian flights were regis\u00adtered worldwide. In Ukraine, there were zero on that day \u2014 as on every other day since 24 February 2022. This is painful for a proud aviation nation. Ukraine is after all one of nine countries worldwide with a full cycle of aerospace hardware engineering and production.<\/p>\n

Ukraine\u2019s Aviation Industry<\/h3>\n

Kharkiv used to be the indus\u00adtrial heart of Ukraine\u2019s aviation industry with Kharkiv State Aircraft Manufac\u00adturing Company located there as well as the National Aerospace University which trains engineers and other experts. The aviation sector was an important branch of the economy. Before 2022, the airports alone employed 200,000 people and generated a yearly turnover of 2.5 billion Euro.<\/p>\n

Right at the beginning of the full scale invasion by Russia, the famous Antonov AN-225 (\u201cMriya\u201d) \u2014 one of the largest cargo aircraft in the world \u2014 was destroyed in Hostomel, which is a home base for Antonov and was completely destroyed as well. The Antonov production plant in Kyiv was also severely damaged.<\/p>\n

Antonov was able to save part of its fleet from Russian destruction. The aircraft are now stationed at Leipzig\/\u200bHalle Airport and are in regular use there. This not only generates urgently needed capital, but also trains the crews.<\/p>\n

Due to damage from Russian attacks, many airports are currently not opera\u00adtional. However, the three largest and modern airports in the country \u2014 Boryspil (Kyiv), Lviv and Odessa \u2014 are opera\u00adtionally ready.<\/p>\n

Airports try to remain ready to operate<\/h3>\n

The airport operators are endeav\u00adouring to keep the airports opera\u00adtional despite the ongoing war. The aim is to be able to offer flights as soon as the airspace is open. This is not only important to attract investors to the country. More than 12 million Ukrainians have left the country and, if the situation allows, want to return home or at least visit friends and family. Currently, the only way to get into the country is a long journey by car or train.<\/p>\n

Maintaining the ability to function requires not only continuous training of employees at the airports, but also aviation security. It is also very expensive because no money can be earned if no flight opera\u00adtions take place.<\/p>\n

Therefore, one of the biggest challenges alongside restoring the infra\u00adstructure is preserving the \u201chuman capital\u201d in the industry, airports and airlines: How can at least the core workforce be retained, trained and upskilled? If this potential is lost, recon\u00adstruction will hardly develop any momentum. However, this problem is not exclusive to the aviation industry; it also applies to other sectors.<\/p>\n

In addition to financial support and concrete indus\u00adtrial partner\u00adships, Ukraine\u2019s Western partners can help with training the workforce.<\/p>\n

Pragmatism and Drone Production<\/h3>\n

Antonov is still trying to keep its head above water. Around 9,000 people are still employed. Antonov provides the full cycle of the devel\u00adopment, production and after-sale support services. The company also plays an important role in the production of drones and the mainte\u00adnance of Ukraine\u2019s residual air force. In general, Ukraine has now inevitably become a centre of excel\u00adlence for drone technology \u2014 this could also be an export branch in the future (civil and military). Close cooper\u00adation with western companies can also lead to a devel\u00adopment boost in Europe.<\/p>\n

Strategic Partner\u00adships with European Aerospace Companies<\/h3>\n

Antonov strives to establish long-term strategic partner\u00adships with European aerospace companies and should become part of the European aerospace community. At the moment, Antonov is looking for partners and investors to rebuild the airport and the flight test base in Hostomel.<\/p>\n

In principle, the recon\u00adstruction of the Ukrainian (aviation) industry is a lucrative business for Western companies. This is the case not only for cooper\u00adating with Airlines or plane and drone producers but also for restoring Airports.<\/p>\n

The Goal: Flying even before the War ends<\/h3>\n

In the first months of the war, the guiding scenario was that flight opera\u00adtions would resume once the war was over. Now the Ukrainian author\u00adities are working with inter\u00adna\u00adtional aviation agencies and insurers on the partial resumption of civil air traffic before the end of the war (similar to the resumption of maritime traffic). Like in Israel, the idea is to partly open up the airspace despite the ongoing threat from Russian missiles and fighter jets.<\/p>\n

This step would be of enormous (also psycho\u00adlogical) impor\u00adtance. In addition to aligning Ukrainian require\u00adments with European standards, the key prereq\u00aduisite for this would be a signif\u00adicant strength\u00adening of Ukrainian air defence. Only if air sover\u00adeignty is regained the opening of Ukrainian airspace to civilian flights can be considered.<\/p>\n

Ukraine is deter\u00admined to rebuild its aviation industry and enable its citizens to travel by air again. To prevent further destruction to the infra\u00adstructure and in the long term enable air travel again, Ukraine needs the means to fight the Russian aggression. In addition to weapons and ammunition, this means above all suffi\u00adcient air defence.<\/p>\n

The panel\u00adlists agreed: Ukraine is ready to take off. The West must support it in this endeavour.<\/p>\n

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