REUTERS
The flight was set to carry workers with long-term contracts.
Ukraine's largest air carrier, Ukraine International Airlines (UIA), was forced to cancel Kyiv-London flight PS1118 due to the ban imposed by the State Aviation Administration of Ukraine (SAAU).
"The flight was to be performed today, April 29, at 12:40 [Kyiv time]. It was arranged to bring to the UK Ukrainian citizens who have long-term contracts with an employer. The flight was organized at the request of the employer, who took care in advance of securing long-term contracts for Ukrainian citizens. Under these circumstances, Ukrainians are allowed to be employed in the UK legally and formally. Accordingly, this category of citizens poses no risk for Ukraine [amid the coronavirus quarantine]. They will not need evacuation in the near future and neither will they be potential distributors of COVID-19 in Ukraine," UIA's press service wrote on Facebook on April 29.
Ukraine International Airlines received the SAAU's notification about the ban two hours prior to the scheduled departure. No grounds were specified. However, UIA submitted all required documents for obtaining permits on time and expected to receive them in advance or within a reasonable period.
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Passengers are residents of different Ukrainian regions who had to get to the Boryspil International Airport located outside Kyiv in the absence of any regular intercity passenger transportation. They are now at the airport terminal, the press service said.
"Of course, we heard yesterday's statement in the media by Ukraine's foreign minister on how 'illogical' it would be to send Ukrainian workers abroad amid the pandemic, as well as on Government being constructive and ready to reconsider its position [on the issue]," UIA Communications Director Yevheniia Satska said. "But as of the morning of April 29, we have received neither official instructions nor documents in this regard. Now the air carrier will try to get a permit to operate the flight and provide an opportunity for Ukrainians to get to their destination and get jobs to provide for their families."
The task of any air carrier is to ensure the safety of flights and people's movement between required destinations. Today, not only are Ukrainian air carriers deprived of their main operations over quarantine restrictive measures, they are also forced to balance between political statements and official documents.