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Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman has told the Novoye Vremya weekly about the miscommunication that led to Ryanair’s move to cancel the earlier announced flights to Ukraine, according to the online portal of the Ukrainian weekly Novoye Vremya.
"I attracted the Investment [Promotion] Office, the Government, the Infrastructure Ministry, and the Boryspil Airport. I also instructed the ministry to elaborate an airport development strategy. Kyiv should have Boryspil as an international hub, [it should also have] a city airport and, say, an airport near Hostomel to serve low cost air carriers, which will increase our overall potential two- or threefold. This must be done," Groysman said in an interview with Novoye Vremya.
Read alsoReuters: Ukraine wants to resume Ryanair talks, PM saysAccording to him, the agreement with Ryanair must be reached on terms mutually beneficial for the state and the air carrier.
"I did not know that the memorandum had been signed [by the infrastructure ministry with the air carrier]. I hadn't seen it. I learned about it amid the scandal. Initially, the ministry offered the conditions that had not been discussed with anyone beforehand. Then Ryanair said: 'We will not negotiate with you. You signed it, so please fulfill it.' It was our weak negotiating position from the very start," Groysman stressed.
Read alsoAntonov ready to host aircraft of low-cost carriers at Hostomel AirfieldJuly 10, the Irish-based Ryanair announced the withdrawal from Ukrainian market citing non-compliance by the officials of the Boryspil Airport with the agreement previously reached with the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine, and therefore canceled four new routes from Kyiv and another seven from Lviv.
CEO of the Boryspil Airport Pavlo Ryabikin said that he had not yet signed a cooperation agreement with Ryanair and considered it advisable to host the carrier at the Antonov International Airport, near Hostomel, instead of the Boryspil Airport.
Read alsoRyanair vs Boryspil: Airport states own position, says prepared for auditAccording to Ryabikin, in case the contract with Ryanair is signed, Boryspil will annually under-receive some UAH 2 billion. He called the Ryanair contract financially unprofitable for his company and refused to sign it until the airport's requirements have been taken into account.