There have been many Ukrainian airlines since the breakup of the Soviet Union. Most appeared in the1990s, when Soviet infrastructure was dismantled. Many of these airlines, both cargo and passenger companies, went out of business after 2001, but there are still several airlines serving Ukrainian cities. A couple of these airlines also travel to cities outside of the region and count as major international airlines as a result.
There are two major Ukrainian airlines: AeroSvit Ukrainian Airlines and Ukraine International Airlines. Both airlines fly to destinations across Europe and the Middle East. AeroSvit also offers service to East Asia (Beijing and Bangkok) and North America (Toronto and New York).
Ukraine International Airlines was established first, in 1992. AeroSvit started two years later, focusing on short-haul flights within the Ukraine during its early years. AeroSvit expanded faster than Ukraine International and surpassed the older airline in passenger numbers by 2000. AeroSvit started transcontinental service between 2002 and 2004 and remains the larger of the two major Ukrainian airlines.
AeroSvit's expansion has focused on long-haul flights out of Europe and to major cities within Eastern and Central Europe. Of the airline's flights, 16 travel to non-European destinations. There are 44 destinations within Europe, but most of those cities are located in Eastern and Central Europe; 11 destinations are in the Ukraine itself. Berlin, Copenhagen, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, London, Milan, Naples, Stockholm and Stuttgart are AeroSvit's only Western European destinations. By contrast, Ukraine International has focused most of its expansion efforts on the European market and flies to many more Western European cities than its rival.
Both major Ukrainian airlines have experienced steady growth, according to their numbers. Ukraine International has grown at an average annual rate of 25 percent in passenger traffic, achieved by an increased number of routes and higher numbers of passengers. At present, the airline offers 300 flights per week. AeroSvit claims even greater growth numbers, boasting of a 40 percent increase in passenger traffic between 2000 and 2002, a 60 percent increase in 2003, 53 percent in 2004 and 26.5 percent in 2005. The route expansion of the airline in this period likely accounts for much of the growth. The airline reported 3 million passengers traveling on 35,000 flights in 2008.
AeroSvit has had two major crashes. In 1997, flight 241 crashed in Thessaloniki, Greece due to pilot error. All 70 people aboard were killed. In 2003, a commuter flight traveling crashed near the Black Sea in Turkey, killing the 74 passengers aboard. To date, Ukrainian International Airlines has avoided major air catastrophes.
