Resolute Kyiv Boryspil Airport CEO outlines recovery plan
KYIV BORYSPIL CEO: “WE ARE STRONG, WE WILL WIN, WE ARE NOT BROKEN”
The CEO of Kyiv Boryspil Airport has signaled that the Ukrainian airport remains operationally ready for the return of commercial traffic as soon as the war in the country is over.
During an impassioned address at Routes Europe 2023, Oleksiy Dubrevskyy delivered a resolute message to the aviation community, revealing that the airport is already working on recovery plans.
“The heart of civil aviation in Ukraine is still beating and the heart of Kyiv Boryspil Airport is also beating,” he said.
Dubrevskyy outlined that traffic at Kyiv Boryspil, Ukraine’s main international gateway, had reached 9.5 million passengers in 2021, equivalent to about 62% of pre-pandemic figures. He explained that the airport was forecast to increase traffic to between 12 million and 13 million passengers in 2022, which would have pushed it closer to a full recovery. However, the airport's aspirations were abruptly halted on Feb. 24, 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine.
Dubrevskyy provided insight into the airport's immediate response to the crisis, which entailed collaboration with military forces, the closure of runways, and relocating aircraft to remote areas.
“The main focus for us was just to stay alive,” he said. “To stay alive and to provide emergency actions in order to save the lives of others.”
Dubrevskyy said Kyiv Boryspil has a comprehensive plan to maintain its infrastructure, ensuring it remains operationally ready to restart, comparing the airport to a small town that cannot be switched off. About 600 staff are required on a daily basis for maintenance purposes, but all 3,615 employees have been retained, with the airport continuing to compensate them at a rate of two-thirds of their regular salary.
After analyzing demand patterns after previous crises, Dubrevskyy believes that traffic will return within two to three years of the conflict in Ukraine ending. He said that pent-up demand, refugee migration, reconstruction of infrastructure and international aid, and a Ukraine-EU open skies agreement would drive the recovery.
“We are strong, we will win, we are not broken,” Dubrevskyy said. “Sooner or later, we will be back on track, and we need to think about the future.”
– David Casey
WIZZ AIR SEES ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT OFFERING COMPETITIVE EDGE
Wizz Air’s entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to test new markets continues to set the Hungarian ULCC apart from its competitors, according to acting network officer Evelin Jeckel.
Speaking at Routes Europe, Jeckel pointed to the expansion of the airline’s network since the onset of the pandemic, saying this strategic approach has enabled it to capture share in previously untapped markets and reduced its reliance on certain customer segments.
OCEAN DRIVEN MEDIA
“I'm actually quite happy with how the network looks today because it's nicely diversified,” she said. “The thinking behind our growth during COVID was to seize market share in previously unavailable markets.”
Wizz’s strategy has included diversifying away from VFR traffic in Central and Eastern Europe. New bases have opened in Western Europe, with a focus on leisure traffic to sun destinations, and the carrier has aggressively grown its network in Italy.
In Italy, Wizz has grown its fleet based in the country to 25 aircraft and annual seat capacity has reached 18 million within the space of about two-and-a-half years.
Additionally, a joint-venture carrier based in Abu Dhabi has been launched to capitalize in point-to-point demand from underserved markets, such as Central Asia. The airline is also exploring further expansion in Saudi Arabia after opening its first routes to the country.
Asked what differentiates Wizz from its rivals, Jeckel said: “I think we are a little bit more open-minded and innovative in terms of what markets we go into. We are a lot more entrepreneurial in terms of going after these opportunities.”
TAP SHARES ITS LONG-RANGE NARROWBODY LEARNING
TAP Air Portugal has been operating long-range narrowbodies for four years, giving insights into the unique complexities of Airbus A321LR route planning, yield management and product design.
Lisbon-based TAP received its first A321LR in April 2019 and has since grown its fleet to 12 of the type, with another scheduled for delivery in July. The A321LRs are deployed on routes to Africa, North America and South America from Lisbon and Oporto.
“We've had a lot of experience, flying lots of different routes,” TAP Air Portugal head of strategy, network & partnerships Henri-Charles Ozarovsky told delegates at Routes Europe. “What is the role of something like an LR? Everybody has a view on that, but actually it's quite a difficult question.”
Ultimately, the LR is a route development tool, which needs to deliver a return on investment. And while it can be used to develop new routes, Ozarovsky said it is important to have a longer-term plan for what happens after that.
Airlines operating long-haul narrowbodies need to strike a balance between connecting point-to-point routes, but also offering competitive frequencies. A smaller aircraft also means less space for cargo, which puts additional pressure on generating “quality revenues.” Hold baggage capacity is also limited, which can be an issue on routes to Asia and Africa, where passengers tend to check in more bags.
Ozarovsky said airlines also need to have an intelligent turnaround strategy. TAP allows 90-minutes for its A321LRs. “It's gone through a nine-hour flight. You've got to clean it properly, you've got to set it up for the next 10-hour flight and it takes a lot of work. It's not as simple to schedule as people think,” he said.
Then there are the challenges of crew rests and efficient use of galley space for long-haul catering. “It's a very intelligent, but arduous operation to manage. It's not as easy as one would think. But it's incredible what we can do today because they see cost is unbelievable.”
However, perhaps the most important question is how passengers feel about spending prolonged periods in a small cabin. This impacts product design, and many airlines are still experimenting to find out what works.
TAP operates both A330s and A321s on its New York services.
“The feedback we get is great,” Ozarovsky said. “The key is product consistency. That's really critical. If you start changing the product and you’re putting in high-density configurations, people are going to hate it. You really need to have the full IFE, the full content, the full meal, the full service, the lie-flat seats in business and the ability to go into the restroom.”
Finally, Ozarovsky flagged a “very interesting” crew benefit, because long-range narrowbodies give cabin and cockpit crew the ability to operate both short- and long-haul services.
– Victoria Moores
