Moskal: “The most realistic way to resume the operation of Uzhgorod airport is to transfer it to an air carrier from the European Union”

Last week’s meeting at the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine with the participation of representatives of the State Aviation Service, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the civil aviation authority of the Slovak Republic, the UkSATSE, and the Transcarpathian Regional State Administration on resumption of the full operation of the Uzhgorod International Airport did not bring the expected results. So believes Hennadiy Moskal.

– According to the decision of the EASA, an application for audit and certification of facilities must be submitted by the UkSATSE, – the head of the Regional State Administration said. – However, no conrete agreements on this issue have been reached. Ukraine should provide funds for audit and certification in the State Budget for 2018, while the timeframe is determined by the EASA at their own discretion. This may be from 2019 until 2022.

In an informal conversation, the EASA representatives reported that the equipment of the UkSATSE regional unit, which serves the airport of Uzhgorod, is very out of date, inoperative, so its certification is impossible. In addition, the representatives of the civil aviation authority of Slovakia stressed that after the audit and certification it is still necessary to sign an agreement between the governments of Ukraine and the Slovak Republic, which should be ratified by the parliaments of both countries. Since the resumption of the airport’s full-fledged operation may be delayed for an indefinite period, the most realistic way to resolve this important issue for Transcarpathia is to transfer the airport to an air carrier from the European Union that does not require EASA certification. This can be done through sale at an auction or in another way provided by the legislation of Ukraine. Several European carriers, including low costs, have already expressed interest in purchasing Uzhgorod airport.