Ukraine’s transportation in crisis amid coronavirus shutdown 

When Copenhagen resident Theresa Hansen bought a plane ticket on Christmas to visit her boyfriend in Kyiv on April 2, she had no clue that a global pandemic would derail her plans.

The speed of the novel coronavirus outbreak took everybody by surprise, she told the Kyiv Post on March 18. “Nobody had the idea it would be this crazy,” she said.

Then, on March 14, Denmark recorded its first death from the virus and closed its borders for a month to slow the spread of the disease. Ukraine implemented the same measure starting March 15 for two weeks, after the first cases of COVID 19 were recorded in the country. 

By March 18, the coronavirus had infected over 204,000 people worldwide and killed over 8,000 globally.

The border closures and suspensions of flights that came in coronavirus’s wake have created a transport crisis in Ukraine — and around the world. 

Amid the chaos, Hansen’s carrier cut flights. Ukraine International Airlines (UIA), Ukraine’s largest carrier, announced on March 16 that it would  suspend “all international scheduled flights from 00:00 am on March 17 through March 31.” The decision came as the airline faced mounting criticism for hiking prices for its final flights before the border closed.

The company said it would now “be operating domestic flights, charter flights to bring Ukrainian tourists back to Ukraine, as well as evacuation and technical flights.” In according to the border closure, only citizens of Ukraine and foreigners with permanent or temporary residency permits would be accepted.

Concerning tickets cancellations, UIA offered two refund options: either a free date change for the same route or a full refund by request to the company’s email.

Hansen found herself in a particularly confusing predicament. Her flight hasn’t been officially canceled. She didn’t contact the company and only learned about the ticket cancelations from a newsletter announcing the measure. Now, she’s waiting for a move from the airline.

“Changing dates or a refund — both options could work. But I think it’s their responsibility to inform people,” Hansen said.

Planes grounded

Around the world, aviation companies are struggling with similar problems.

Before quarantine measures even started in many countries of the world, the International Aviation Trade Association, which represents over 80% of companies in the sector, forecasted on March 5 a $113 billion loss of revenue and predicted that companies in Eastern Europe could lose over $6 billion in passengers revenues. 

On March 12, Ukraine International Airlines spokesperson Evgenyia Satska told the Kyiv Post that, after preliminary estimates from the cancellation of about 2,000 flights, the airline would lose 35% of its revenues.

“The situation is very difficult for everyone, but for aviation, it is many times more complicated. It is about the viability of airlines,” she added on March 15. 

Satska gave the comment before the measures were put into place on March 17, and the company could not be reached for comment after the ban was implemented.

Hungary-based Wizz Air also suspended its regular flights to and from Ukraine starting on March 17. In the midst of cancellations, WizzAir automatically transferred 120% of the price of canceled tickets as a credit to customers to be spent on other WizzAir tickets. And while a cash refund takes longer, WizzAir customers reached on Facebook expressed full satisfaction over the refunds, sent an average of two days after the flights’ suspensions.

Ukrainian low-cost carrier SkyUp also suspended flights on the same date as other companies, following the government’s order. SkyUp used a slightly different policy: passengers who purchased tickets abroad for the prohibition period will be able to rebook them for later dates or receive a ticket refund equal to the original fare.

Gianfranco Panico, a passenger who had four SkyUp tickets, said that the company was responsive for the first two, but he is still trying to get an answer on the last two. 

SkyUp also wrote on Facebook that Ukrainians who didn’t make it home before the borders closed could contact Ukrainian consulates and the company would set up “non-regular flights… organized by the state.”

A special flight will be organized on March 21 by the company for French citizens living in Ukraine and willing to come back home, the French embassy and the company announced on March 18, and the ticket will cost 219 euros ($237).

On March 15, the company had already sent a plane to coronavirus-stricken northern Italy to evacuate 95 Ukrainians stuck at the Slovenian-Italian border. 

The passengers signed an agreement to voluntarily self-quarantine for 14 days after their arrival, despite showing no symptoms during the medical check-ups. 

The company also evacuated 72 Ukrainians from Wuhan on Feb. 19. The government then placed them in quarantine in Poltava Oblast. 

SkyUp could not be reached for a comment on the financial outcomes of such moves, but the evacuation of 35,000 Ukrainians from abroad requires $4.2 million of budgetary funds, the Ministry of Infrastructure stated on March 18.

Boryspil asleep

Kyiv’s Boryspil airport has also suffered from grounded planes, as the airport generates its revenue from passenger traffic. 

As a result of the airport’s limited economic activity due to the termination of regular passenger flights, Boryspil will see a significant decrease in revenues, the airport stated on its website.

“During these restrictive measures, part of the airport will ‘go to sleep,’” it said. 

But when reached for comment, Boryspil spokesperson Tatiana Yarosh said: “it is too early to estimate the losses, as it has been only one day that the ban has been implemented.”

Checkpoints 

Ukraine’s border checkpoints for passenger trains and buses are also closing until April 3, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine said on March 16. Checkpoints remain open for cars.

The border guard service also contacted local authorities to allocate buses for Ukrainians walking through the borders on foot.

According to the service, 12, 000 thousand vehicles were registered crossing the border on both sides and 27,000 Ukrainian came home from March 17 to March 18. In addition to standard border control measures, border guards conduct temperature screening. 

59 checkpoints continue to operate for cars and people, but 107 checkpoints have already shut down until April 3. 

The State Border Guard Service could not be reached for a comment over the choice of checkpoints still opened.

In total, nearly 2.3 million people have been screened at the border since Feb. 25 to prevent the spread of the virus — more than 40 people were found to have fevers and sent to medical institutions.

“We recommend self-isolation upon arrival to Ukraine,” Volodymyr Nikiforenko, first deputy head of the State Border Guard Service said on March 18, without specifying which measures were taken to ensure that the rule would be followed.

Trains at the depot

The ban also extends to railways: Following the government’s March 16 order, state-owned railway monopolist Ukrzaliznytsia suspended domestic passenger train travel starting on March 18, but cargo transport continued. 

The company had already suspended international passenger traffic on the night of March  17, until the end of the quarantine period promulgated by the government.

On March 13, Ukraine’s state-owned railway carrier Ukrzaliznytsia said it had suspended train connections with Slovakia, which has declared a state of emergency over the spread of the disease. 

Ukraine stopped rail passenger communication with Poland starting March 15, the press service of Ukrzaliznytsia reported on Facebook.

For state-owned railway monopolist Ukrzaliznytsia, it is still too early to estimate the losses, because “the situation is changing every hour,” Darya Manzhura, head of the company’s press office, told the Kyiv Post on March 17.

However, the railway giant has already returned 300,000 tickets worth a total of over $3 million. 

Ukrainians can get a refund because the train was canceled by Ukrzaliznytsia due to the quarantine measures.

“Still, it was on March 15, and we don’t yet know what to expect after the total shutdown” — both in terms of financial losses and ticket refunds, Manzhura said. She also added that Ukrzaliznytsia top managers are in constant communication with the ministries of health and infrastructure to make it through the crisis, but uncertainty prevails and results are yet to be seen.