The issue of property rights to land plots at Kyiv-based Boryspil international airport should be studied using various approaches, according to AeroSvit-Ukrainian Airlines.
“The land issue should cover the whole territory of the airport and
adjacent land plots, and not only land plots near a particular
terminal. There are no central airports in Europe at which the key
carrier does not have an office, hangar, fixed servicing zones in
terminals and separate boarding bridges or [even] separate terminals.
Since 2004, AeroSvit has not been able to realize its right to build
these important objects for the company at the Boryspil airport,” the
press secretary of the carrier, Volodymyr Haidash, told
Interfax-Ukraine.
He said that at present, AeroSvit does not have hangars for the
technical servicing of its long-haul Boeing 767 aircraft, and the
company has to do it abroad.
“Foreign firms get the profits and pay the taxes to their states. If
AeroSvit could realized projects linked with land ownership in Ukraine,
the state would only gain,” he said.
He also said that discomfort of passengers at the Boryspil airport
are linked to the aging terminal and technological servicing system,
and not to land disputes.
“There are two separate terminals for domestic (A) and international
(B) passengers, between which passengers can only move by going
outdoors. [Also] passengers have to take their luggage. In addition,
the B terminal has an out-of-date technological scheme with one-level
servicing of arriving and departing passengers. At all modern
terminals, arrivals and departures are at different levels. This allows
the provision of higher quality services… These reasons, and not the
issue of land ownership, cause the difficulties given as examples by
[Vice Premier] Ivan Vasiunik,” Haidash said.
He also said that the development of Boryspil airport with
attraction of private capital, in particular, the building of a new
terminal by AeroSvit airline, would help solve existing problems with
passenger servicing.
“If it had not been for the court hearings, the terminal would have
been built in March 2006, and the airport would not have had the
above-mentioned problems. Thus, AeroSvit demonstrated its pro-state
position on the project,” the press secretary said.
As reported, Vice Premier Vasiunik earlier said that court disputes
around land plots at the Boryspil airport hinder its development and
create discomfort for passengers.
