MINSK, 1 October (BelTA) – The Belavia air carrier plans to offer a new flight from Minsk to Odessa, Belarus' First Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Yevgeny Rogachev told an online press-conference at BelTA's website.
"The airline plans to open a new flight Minsk-Odessa-Minsk. We worked on this flight for a long time. Perhaps we will offer more than one flight, but this decision is not connected with what is happening in our closest neighbors. We may also increase the frequency of flights to Kiev,” Yevgeny Rogachev noted.
He noted that the aviation authorities and the Ministry of Transport and Communications did not see any problems in connection with the situation. "Minsk National Airport and regional airports and Belavia are fully prepared to accept passengers who decide to go to Ukraine transit through our country. We would not want to make hype out of this. Offering high-quality services to passengers is our daily work," said Yevgeny Rogachev. The Minsk airport has enough capacity after modernization and is able to provide high-quality service to all passengers.
According to Yevgeny Rogachev, the negotiations are under way with the aviation authorities of Ukraine and Russia and their airlines. "If necessary, Belaeronavigatsia and our aviation authorities will work out necessary connections to make travel comfortable for passengers," said Yevgeny Rogachev.
As was reported recently, Ukraine banned flights by Russian companies, primarily Aeroflot and Transaero, to Ukraine, and also banned, partially or completely, transit flights by Russian air carriers across the country. Russia closed sky to Ukraine in response to the flight ban.
Belavia is the largest air carrier in Belarus by the number of passengers and cargoes it transports. In January 2014 the Belarusian airline acquired a legal status of an open joint stock company. Belavia operates 27 aircraft, and offers regulars flights to 46 destinations in Europe and Asia. Belavia joined the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in 1997 and the European Regions Airline Association (ERAA) in 2010. In January-August 2015 Belavia's passenger traffic increased by 5% over the same period last year.
