Ukraine’s transport sector stumbles under state-imposed quarantine

The global coronavirus pandemic has already hit the aviation industry harder than the global financial crisis in 2008. Airlines are now canceling flights all around the world.

The disruption in their operations is so massive that carriers have already lost $6 billion and are projected to lose about $113 billion in revenues in 2020, the International Air Transport Association stated on March 5.

Although it has registered only one COVID-19 case, Ukraine is also suffering economically after its government announced it would shutter schools and cancel mass events on March 11.

Every day, local airlines announce more and more flight cancellations. Border checkpoints are being closed and even public transport, which continues to operate, has been forced to make adjustments.

While the situation is far from a full shutdown, it will be a major inconvenience both for travelers and the companies that depend on them.

Flights canceled

Ukraine International Airlines (UIA), the country’s largest carrier, announced that it would temporarily suspend or reduce many of its flights to Italy, Israel, the United Kingdom and Turkey, as well as to domestic destinations.

“Given the significant decline in demand, many airlines in the world have reduced the frequency of flights or completely discontinued air services to a number of countries,” UIA spokesperson Evgeniya Satska stated on March 11, four hours before Ukraine’s prime minister proclaimed the nationwide quarantine.

UIA suspended all of its flights to Italy for a month starting on March 12. Flights will only operate in one direction, bringing Ukrainians still stuck in Italy home. They will have to fill out a special form in order to come back.

The spread of COVID-19 has surged in Europe in recent days, especially in Italy, where it has been detected in more than 12,000 people and killed 827.

The only Ukrainian reported on March 3 to have been infected with the coronavirus had arrived in Ukraine from Italy, where he had been on vacation. He has been hospitalized since then.

UIA has also reduced flights connecting Ukraine and Tel Aviv until April 8 in response to new entry rules introduced by Israel that impose a 14-day quarantine on all people arriving from abroad.

Flights to Turkey are suspended until May 22. Turkey reported its first coronavirus case on March 10.

Meanwhile, none of the flights to the United Kingdom has been canceled.

However, UIA is suspending its least popular flights connecting Kyiv to Kherson, Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv and Zaporizhia until April 8.

Previously, on Feb. 3, UIA banned flights to China, the country where the coronavirus originated.

Rebel airlines

Not every company is complying with the state-imposed quarantine restrictions.

Ukraine-based low-cost carrier SkyUp wrote on social media that it would reduce its flights to Italy, but not cancel them entirely. The carrier postponed most of its Italian flights until May 1, but flights to Naples departing from Lviv were still in place on March 12.

The company didn’t reply to a request for comment.

As for Israel, SkyUp is keeping most of its flights to the Middle Eastern country, canceling only one route – from Kharkiv to Tel-Aviv.

Low-cost carrier Wizz Air has also chosen to cut back on the number of its flights to multiple destinations until April 2 instead of cancelling entire routes. To this end, it has cut about 60% of its flights to Italy, compared to its previous schedule. The carrier said those routes facing a significant decrease in demand might be cancelled too.

“Due to the trend of decreasing demand on Italian routes caused by the advent of the COVID-19 virus, Wizz Air has leveled its flight schedule, resulting in significant cancelations,” the airline stated on Feb. 28.

Public transport intact

Despite the quarantine, trains will run according to their usual schedule, state-owned railway monopolist Ukrzaliznytsia announced on Facebook on March 11.

However, Ukrzaliznytsia has implemented protective measures. The company will conduct hourly disinfection in places with the highest concentrations of passengers. It has also installed facilities for temporarily isolating individuals with signs of coronavirus infection at train stations and provided its stations with first aid kits and other necessary equipment.

Ukrainian authorities have said that the state-imposed quarantine will not affect public transportation’s schedule.

Mykola Povoroznyk, Kyiv’s deputy mayor, said in a briefing that the subway and other mass transit would work as usual, but that they would be treated with special disinfectants twice a day, Ukrainian media reported on March 11.

It is still unclear how taxi companies like Uber will react to the issue. They couldn’t be reached for comment at the time of publication.

Borders checked

The government also announced it would close 170 out of 219 border checkpoints, according to lawmaker Viktoria Siumar. The remaining 49 will have quarantine facilities, she wrote on Facebook.

Additionally, the government will purchase infrared screening equipment to measure the temperature of passengers at Boryspil International Airport.

The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine began operating temperature screenings on Feb. 25 at its borders with neighboring countries, measuring the temperature of an average of 100,000 people per day.

By March 12, more than 1.6 million citizens had been tested, including those arriving at airports from abroad and those crossing the border by car or train. As a result, 37 people were found to have fevers, and 15 of them were isolated for healthcare.

Three Ukrainians and two foreigners were referred to physicians for further examination in Ukraine, but, so far, still only one case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in the country.