Ukrainian National Airlines: Zelensky Announces Creation of National Carrier

Negotiations are under way with Western partners on creating a modern aviation hub in Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the creation of a national airline in Ukraine — Ukrainian National Airlines (UNA). Here is a brief summary of what he said during his speech at the forum “Big Construction: Aviation and Tourism”. 

Volodymyr Zelensky
President of Ukraine

I have always said that these are very necessary projects that stitch Ukraine together. Today we are returning to the world the idea of a European aircraft. Now it is our common “Mriya,” the Ukrainian “Mriya” and the joint “Mriya” with our colleagues from Europe. Ukraine has Antonov, excellent capacity for the full cycle of creating a modern aircraft. This year three aircraft are being built for our state. We have all the capacity for serial production, including comprehensive post-sales support. 

He noted that negotiations are under way with Western partners to create a modern aviation hub in Ukraine “for converting passenger aircraft into cargo aircraft”. 

The president stated: “We have everything necessary for this. <...> Now we will see that our Ukrainian market is not yet fully ready to ensure the implementation of state interests in air transport. After all, beyond purely economic interests, social demand also plays a major role.”

According to him, airports are being created and built to strengthen this area within the framework of Big Construction. Within this program another powerful step is being taken — “this is our national airline, whose creation will begin today”. 

Zelensky noted that the state is ready to invest in the air fleet, support Ukrainian manufacturers and attract global leaders into joint projects in aircraft manufacturing. 

According to Zelensky, the economic feasibility of this project has been confirmed “by our French consultants (company Aerogestion — ed.)”.

Volodymyr Zelensky
President of Ukraine

Implementing this idea is not only about increasing profits and passenger traffic, but also about the status, image and prestige of our state as a whole. This will be our national independent airline, independent of any other groups. 

The president said that launching a national carrier, new modern airports, transforming Boryspil airport into the most powerful Eastern European aviation hub, reviving Ukrainian aircraft manufacturing and strengthening industrial cooperation in the Ukraine–EU format are the main goals for the coming years. “Time to take off,” Zelensky summed up. 

Zelensky spoke about the name of the national airline: “There were several working names for the national airline; today it is Ukrainian national airlines — Ukrainian National Airlines (UNA), which is very symbolic.” 

Recall that as far back as April 2020, President Volodymyr Zelensky said he wanted to create a modern state airline with a Ukrainian aircraft fleet. 

Former Minister of Infrastructure Vladyslav Kryklii said that the possibility of creating a state airline should be considered not separately but in the context of an aviation strategy.

Kryklii said the state airline could begin operations in 2021. Shmyhal argued that the domestic carrier should buy Ukrainian aircraft, but negotiations are also under way on purchasing aircraft from international manufacturers. 

In August 2021 it was reported that they wanted to create an airline by the end of the year. The Verkhovna Rada adopted as a basis a bill that provides for allocating UAH 2.5 billion from the 2021 state budget for roads, an infrastructure subvention and the national airline.