NEW ROUTES TO INDIA, TURKMENISTAN AND IRAN TO ENHANCE STRONG YEAR OF GROWTH FOR UIA CARGO

Ukraine’s recovering economy is supporting a strong year of growth for Ukraine International Airlines’ (UIA) cargo division and the outlook for the rest of 2011 will be boosted further by the addition of Delhi, Ashkhabad and Tehran to the airline’s network this winter.

UIA, which also commenced Kiev-Moscow-Kiev and Kiev-Samara air services in July, exceeded its total 2010 tonnage volume within the first seven months of this year. By the end of September 2011, it expects to have exceeded its 2.5 million kilos target for the year and forecasts a strong fourth quarter.

New routes from Kiev to Turkmenistan, India and Iran, starting in Q4 2011, have been strongly welcomed by ECS Group, UIA Cargo’s exclusive global cargo general sales agency partner. All three routes are expected to attract significant cargo volumes.

Mac Warner, Director of ECS Group, said: “We are achieving remarkable growth with UIA Cargo this year, which reflects both its growing network and the general recovery in the country’s economy. A great deal of confidence is returning to the market and the launch of new routes to India, Turkmenistan and Iran provide a significant opportunity to feed more volume into the network. One of the reasons why UIA and ECS have enjoyed such a long and successful relationship is the continued development of both businesses and, most significantly, our ability to generate cargo for UIA across our network of 47 offices in 30 countries.”

UIA operates a modern fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft connecting Ukraine with the key cities of Europe, Asia, Africa, and the CIS. UIA operates over 500 flights a week and now offers more than 3,000 worldwide destinations through connections with its international partners’ flights.

The airline’s Boeing 737SF-300 freighter offers a further 16,000 kilos a day on its scheduled route between Liege-Vienna-Kiev, feeding UIA Cargo’s international network.

Ukraine is expecting an additional boost to its economy and additional cargo opportunities next year from its role as co-host along with Poland of football’s 2012 European Championships.