By Antonina Tsymbaliuk

KYIV – SkyUp, Ukraine's new low-cost airline, made their first flight from Ukraine today as a chartered flight from Kyiv Zhuliany airport touched down at the popular resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Another chartered aircraft is due to travel this afternoon.

Departing at at 7:27am, and arriving in Egypt roughly three hours later, the first Boeing 737-800 carried the tail number UR-SQA.

"Today, the first two [charter] flights of SkyUp to this resort town in Egypt took place,” said Minister of Infrastructure Volodymyr Omelyan in an early morning briefing.

“But I would remind you that the plans for the first year of the airline are not only the implementation of international charter flights, but also the opening of regular Ukrainian and international destinations," he added.

From May 25, additional Boeing 737-800 NG planes will enter service for the airline, as they gear up to start regular flights. SkyUp have reportedly paid over $620 million for five of the popular passenger aircraft.

As SkyUp expand the number of aircraft in their fleet, they're expected to carry more than 650,000 passengers within a year.

The airline plans to begin connecting the airports of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv and Odesa to 16 international destinations, including Hurghada, Barcelona, Tenerife, Alicante and Dubai.

By the end of June, the company plans on adding regular domestic flights too.

Currently, national carrier Ukraine International Airlines, or UIA, has something of a monopoly in Ukraine.

As more Ukrainians than ever before take to the skies, the number of international flights to and from Ukraine continues to grow.

From 2015, the amount of low-cost airlines which fly to and from Ukraine has increased from 18 airlines to 38.

Minister Omelyan, a persuasive advocate for affordable and efficient public transportation, this morning told reporters that as more and more Ukrainians want to fly, they should be given the opportunity.

For comments or story ideas, please contact UBJ Managing Editor Jack Laurenson, at: laurenson.jack@theubj.com.

Posted May 21, 2018.