Ukrainian airports are ready again to take passengers. To do this they should be given autonomy to attract airlines and the appointment of airport charges.

By the end of the year in Ukraine will be a new budget carrier: the arrival of Russia's companies to the Ukrainian market conversations can be heard even in the summer. As the WA, we are talking about UTair, which intends to create in Ukraine subsidiary airline, it will link our country with Russia's few cities. But it is curious in this whole situation is different: the base airport UTair-Ukraine will become Lugansk, which hitherto could not compete for passengers with neighboring Donetsk and Kharkov - those more advanced route network.

Находящиеся поблизости аэропорты Харькова и Донецка, безусловно, оттягивают часть пассажиров, которые могли бы пользоваться нашим аэропортом, - говорит Елена Галицкая, замдиректора по экономике и финансам КП Международный аэропорт Луганск. - But in the last two years we have seen a steady growth of passenger traffic by 15-20% per year, and I think we can maintain these growth rates in the future.

Lugansk became the first regional airport, which managed to lure to his budget carrier. The company's management acknowledges that the number of passengers involved will depend on the system of discounts on airport charges, which are ready to provide the airport. This example - the chance for other regional airports, which now operate at a loss, and every flight is ready to personally greet and escort the entire management team.

entice cheap

When in 2004 the Airport Katowice-Pyrzowice came the Hungarian low-cost-carrier Wizz Air, the annual passenger traffic did not exceed 260 thousand passengers. This figure is comparable to the number of passengers Kharkiv for 2008. However, in the first two years he doubled, and in late 2008, the administration of Katowice receives flowers 2 millionth passenger. The very same airport, located 30 kilometers from the city with a population of 350 thousand people from a remote military airfield into a modern terminal, which did not disdain to fly not only to budget (Wizz Air, Germanwings and Ryannair), but respectable Lufthansa, as well as the national carrier LOT.

As a result, today a typical regional airport in the south of Poland on the number of flights is second only to Warsaw Okenche. And on the efficiency of logistics (DHL, United Parcel Service) and courier (TNT Express) companies and does a leader in Poland. And now the Polish government was discussing the construction of high-speed rail line Katowice - Warsaw, in order to make Pyrzowice the main air gate of the country. All of this, the airport has been achieved only by creating favorable conditions for budget carriers: a convenient time of departure /arrival time and flexible system of airport charges according to the principle - the more the result of passengers, the less you pay.

For Ukrainian regional airports such history now looks like a fairy tale. But until recently, seemed like a fairy tale that any Ukrainian airport, but Borispol, generally can operate at a profit. Nevertheless, in 2008 with a profit finished airports Kharkov, Odessa, Lviv and Donetsk. And so even in the Ukrainian reality, when 80% of the revenue the airport provides just the aviation activities (in Europe, half of the revenue the airport receives from the lease of terminal space, parking places and the work of restaurants). However, the chance to find its place under the sun are other regional airports. Primarily we are talking about airports, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zaporozhye, Poltava, Nikolaev and Sevastopol, which may well be the doubles regional airports of the first magnitude (millionaire cities, Lviv and Simferopol). Make a bet they can at low-cost-a company whose market in Ukraine is not yet occupied.

counted - Tears

First, the Ukrainian air transportation market is still too poorly developed. All airports in Ukraine for the year are transported only 11 million passengers, which is almost two times less than in only one Berlin Schoenefeld, which is a hub just for low-cost-of companies. According to Alexander Kawa, Director of the Center for Economic and Policy Analysis, by 2012 passenger traffic Ukraine quadrupled, reaching 220 thousand passengers per day. In addition, if 60% of passengers now have to Borispol, then in the next few years, the passenger flow will disperse across regions. Well, in the case of the introduction of Open Skies, on the accession to which in Ukraine say from year to year, air travel will grow even twice. One can assume that in anticipation of Euro-2012 Ukraine still create a common aviaprostranstvo with the EU.

Secondly, it is the low cost carriers in crisis exhibit steady growth. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the fall of the air transportation market will make this year's 9%, while the low-cost-airline expects growth at 13-17%. Given that the European experts predict the long-term decline of the European transport market to 15%, European companies simply need to enter new markets. Myth of the insolvency of the population dispel the tariffs, which fly Ukrainian passengers. For example, flight Kiev - New York - Kiev costs an average of $ 700, while the fly from Frankfurt to New York and back will cost $ 300. And this is - to use the services of Lufthansa, but not the budget carriers.

Finally, low-cost-companies typically do not use major airports: they do not have connecting flights, and therefore profitable for them to agree on collaboration is with small regional airports. The fact that we, unlike other low-cost, do not fly in small, regional, and major airports - a measure of distress, - said Natalya Kazmer, member of the Board of Directors Wizz Air Ukraine. - Just the conditions of other regional airports do not provide opportunity to fly there. For example, there is an airport near Paris Beauvais Tille, representing a simple tent in a field. But it is quite effective in running the company (with annual passenger traffic 1.8 million people).

Bet

reason that budget airlines use the services of small regional airports, two: those malozagruzheny and offer a flexible system of benefits for payment of airport charges. Remoteness from major cities airlines do not care much - the same Beauvais is situated in 83 km from Paris.

underrun problems in Ukrainian regional airports there are no problems, but the fee ... In consultation with the Ministry of Economy determines their Ministry of Transport. The last time rates for airport charges were changed last year when they increased by 25-50%. Then, against a rise of openly only leadership of the Donetsk airport, but could not do anything: the company could not unilaterally change the data rate. As a result, today the average takeoff /landing cost airlines in the $ 12-14 a tonne weight of the aircraft on international flights and $ 3,5-5 - on domestic flights. As for the charges for passenger services, it ranges from $ 11-16,5 with passengers traveling abroad, and $ 3,5-6,5 - for domestic passengers. These figures are comparable to European, but approximately 20% higher than that of Middle Eastern and American airports. But the Middle East - the fastest-growing air transport market and its airports are the major competitors in attracting Ukrainian European carriers.

course, the airline's operating costs, these taxes account for only 3-5% (for example, fuel costs account for 30-45% of the company's expenses during the flight). But the profitability of carriers even in the pre-crisis time did not exceed 7%, because, of course, increased airport charges were immediately passed on to the shoulders of customers.

But most importantly - a descent rate fee on top does not allow regional airports to bring their own carriers, offering a simple scheme: the more the airline is bringing the passengers, the lower the tax rate. I have no airport and the possibility to vary the magnitude of charges by time of day, by downloading the hours in which the airport is idle (usually the middle of the day and night). But the Middle East's airports is right there. And this is - the main competitor of Ukrainian airports to attract European carriers.

Building Lugansk airport can compete even with Borispol . This latest light-signal and radio navigation equipment, runway capable of receiving aircraft weighing up to 200 tons, - says Elena Galich. - This gives us an opportunity to negotiate with airlines so that they used the services Lugansk.

The State Aviation Administration understands that this situation hinders the development of regional airports. At this time, we work out a system of volume discounts at which the airlines that carry more passengers pay a lower amount of airport charges, - says Alexander Davydov, chairman of Ukraine's State Aviation Administration. - I hope before the end of the year this project will be launched.

Where to get money?

Of the 37 existing today in Ukraine Airports highest chance of attracting passengers are private, then - and only then utility - the state. Last in the country, only four, but before their renovation it comes soon, to attract airlines and they alone, in contrast to the public and private, can not.

In preparation for Euro 2012, our airport must also have been reconstructed in the past year has been allocated 3 million grn., - says Igor Kuroschepov, and. about. First Deputy General Director of State Enterprise International airport Zaporozhye. - This money is enough for a reconstruction project of the enterprise. Now it is financing the reconstruction itself, which will cost 550 million UAH..

But that funding was found, airports should be given full autonomy in the search for funds. World practice is unambiguous: to earn the airports, which often fly planes. And if the point of profitability in a European airport is 800 thousand passengers a year, in Ukraine, according to Alexander Davydov, breakeven will be the one airport, which will provide an annual ridership of 100 thousand people. Experience neighbors proves that it is not transcendental figure.

Alexander Vlasenko

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