OREANDA-NEWS. December 07, 2009. Despite difficult economic situation in the industry and in economy in whole, in 2009 UIA did not cancel any of its destinations, nor did it put on stand-by any of its aircrafts but instead continued to expand its business, reported the press-centre of UIA.

In 2009 UIA launched three new flights: Lvov-Milan, Kyiv-Abu Dhabi and Odessa-Dubai. In November 2009 UIA, in partnership with the UAE national airline Etihad Airways, offered its customers new long-distance flight via Abu Dhabi - Kiev-Johannesburg. Next year, in partnership with Etihad Airways, UIA will continue to expand its destination list by opening flights to Kuala Lumpur and Sydney.

In 2009 the UIA fleet was extended with the first two in Ukraine B737-800 Next Generation aircraft, and by summer 2010 it will operate four aircraft of this type.

UIA expects to carry 1.5 million passengers in 2009, with plans to carry almost 2 million passengers in 2010. Other plans for 2010 include the launch of new direct flights between Kyiv and Almaty, Tashkent and Delhi.

Renewal and upgrading of the fleet next year will allow UIA to increase its number of flights to existing destinations such as Tbilisi and Abu Dhabi, as well as leisure destinations Nice (France), and Pula, Dubrovnik and Split (all Croatia).

UIA is set to enter 2010 with the highest occupancy for charter flights. In cooperation with partner travel agencies the airline will increase the frequency of its charter flights to Turkey and Egypt and not only from Kiev, but also from other major Ukrainian cities.

“Despite the fact that last year was marked by a deep recession and fierce competition, since the beginning of the summer we have achieved positive results and strengthened our leading position on the airline passenger transportation market of Ukraine,’ said UIA President Yuri Miroshnikov. ‘And we are especially proud that the timely anti-crisis measures taken by the airline as well as our well-coordinated teamwork allow us to say that 2009 will be the tenth consecutive profitable year in the history of UIA”.