Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) announced that Ukraine's leading international carrier, Ukraine International Airlines (UIA), will commence the first direct service from Abu Dhabi to the Ukrainian capital of Kiev. The initial flight is scheduled to depart from Abu Dhabi International Airport on Sept. 25, 2009, with twice weekly flights due to arrive in Abu Dhabi at 2030 hours on Mondays and Fridays, and depart the following morning at 0155 hours on Tuesdays and Saturdays. In addition to generating traffic between Abu Dhabi and Kiev, the operation is timed to allow easy transfer for passengers onto the wide network of onward services offered from Abu Dhabi International Airport. Ukraine International Airlines will operate a Boeing 737 aircraft configured in two product classes, business and economy, for the flight which is expected to take around five and a half hours in each direction. The service forms one of the key components to build upon the already strong business links between the Ukraine and the UAE. Other measures include the establishment of the Ukraine – UAE Business Council to facilitate trade and economic relations and realize the potential commercial opportunities between the two nations. Mohammed Al Bulooki, vice president of Airline Marketing and Aeronautical Revenue of ADAC, said: “We warmly welcome Ukraine International Airlines with their new route to Kiev, which helps to expand the number of European destinations serviced directly from Abu Dhabi International Airport”. “Not only does the service provide the opportunity for business and leisure tourists to experience the rich tourism offerings within the Ukrainian capital, it also allows passengers from Kiev to utilize the fast and efficient transfer facilities at Abu Dhabi International Airport, and take advantage of the links provided by International carriers and Etihad Airways to other destinations around the world”, he added. Yuri Miroshnikov, Ppresident of Ukraine International Airlines, said:“We are delighted to be expanding our operations in the Middle East with this new service to Abu Dhabi. We have already had a great response from our business customers wishing to take advantage of the convenient new direct service, and leisure passengers travelling to experience the distinctive Arabic hospitality and unique culture and heritage of the UAE.” To support the new route into the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) facilitated a familiarization trip for representatives of the Ukrainian media. As part of the trip, ADAC hosted an afternoon presentation at Abu Dhabi International Airport, which focused on ADAC's main role and mission to develop the aviation sector in the UAE, and highlighted the upcoming developments such as the landmark Midfield Terminal Complex and the world-class boutique duty free offering at the new Terminal 3.
