The state of aviation field during COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The global pandemic COVID-19 had a serious impact on the dynamics of air traffic. The purpose of this article is to analyze the change in air travel over the past 10 years and to describe the potential situation, threats and suggest alternative ways out of the crisis. As a result, we identified the following problems: insufficient funding for the aviation industry, lack of resources necessary for its development, low level of exports of civil aviation, no credit mechanisms to finance the production of aircraft, lack of incentives for domestic and foreign institutions to invest, lack of control over aviation companies . The largest decline in air travel occurred in 2020. We also see a decrease in flights from 2013 to 2014 in connection with the beginning of military clashes in eastern Ukraine. In 2021, new air carriers entered the Ukrainian market, including Flynas (low-cost carrier of Saudi Arabia) and Eurowings (German low-cost carrier). It was found that domestic flights through the airspace of Ukraine have increased. An important impetus for their growth is the development of regional airports with the prospect of creating a National Airline. The positive dynamics was influenced by the opening of new passenger flights (Kyiv-Uzhhorod, Chernivtsi-Kryvyi Rih) and the adoption of the draft law №5301, which extended the term of granting Ukrainian airlines a transitional period for the transition to the use of domestic aircraft. In the summer of 2021, flights resumed, and Ukrainians are actively flying to Turkey, Egypt and the Dominican Republic - the most popular destinations. As for Ukrainian airports, their passenger traffic has decreased significantly since 2019, more than twice. Therefore, we propose to look for ways to reduce airport costs and fees, reduce aircraft fleet to save on their maintenance, reduce staff, refocus on charter flights, reduce the tax burden and encourage investors, which is especially important.