On September, 27 2012 at International airport “Kharkov” was held the second specialized conference “Let’s fly from Kharkov”. It was organized by the representatives of New Systems AM (the operator company of International Airport “Kharkov” belongs to DCH group headed by Alexander Yaroslavsky). Main Ukrainian and foreign tour operators, air companies and also representatives of Kharkov region and municipal administration took part at the conference.
The main topic of the meeting was cooperation between tour operators, air companies and Kharkov airport – as a result – rout network development and plans for future. Also results of the airport operating in 2012 were discussed, including the period of matchmaking during Football Championship “Euro-2012”. In general renewed air gate of Slobojanshchina stood Euro Championship test honourably. It was told by Vitaliy Nedashkovsky, DGD of New Systems AM. He underlined that in spite of quite tight deadlines of Euro-2012 preparations, airport administration and co-workers managed to provide high level of service and security to Kharkov guests.
Vladimir Semenchenko, CEO of SWISSPORT Ukraine, resuming the cooperation of two companies stressed the professionalism of Kharkov airport co-workers. According to him, even the first results fill with optimism and lay strong foundation for long-term winning co-partnership. His opinion was confirmed by Renat Kashaev, the representative of the biggest Russian air company “Aeroflot”.
Sergey Stepanov, Deputy Commercial Director of the air company “UTair-Ukraine”, in his turn, shared his plans of business development in Ukraine, among them cooperation with International airport “Kharkov”. Also he mentioned that direct flight between Kharkov and Zhulyany opened in June 2012 (twice weekly) operated on ATR-72 (co-production of France and Italy) appeared very successful. Sergey Stepanov told that air fleet was renewed and on the flight between Kharkov and Moscow (Vnukovo) (twice weekly), ATR-42, which was used on this route, was changed to jet Bombardier CRJ-200. Opening the flight between Kharkov and Baku is among short-range plans of the air company.
During the conference managers of leading Ukrainian tour operators also delivered the reports. Director of “Kharkovkurort-service” Irina Khodyreva told about the joint program run and regular flight between Kharkov and Montenegro opening. The flight is operated from Kharkov to the capital of Montenegro, Podgorica, weekly in cooperation with UIA. Deputy Director on operation Anna Korennaya shared her impressions of cooperation with Kharkov airport, one of its directions is Kharkov tourism industry development. The result of cooperation between “Kharkovkurort-service” and “Natalie Tours Ukraine” is the organization of regular transfers from/to International airport “Kharkov” to/from neighboring regional centers such as Dnepropetrovsk, Zaporozhe, Belgorod, in plans – Summy and Poltava. Also managers mentioned that due to the close cooperation with Kharkov airport the direct flights Kharkov-Dubai and Kharkov-Barcelona have great popularity among tourists from Kharkov and neighboring regions. Due to the received experience in 2013 tour operators are planning to expand the rout network of International airport “Kharkov” (taking in account market demand).
Vladimir Valerjevich Vasilchenko told: “Such conference for International airport “Kharkov” is a sort of litmus paper, which allows us to hold the hand on the pulse, receive actual information, develop partnership links and increase the professional level, in other words to fortify airport positions of international level. We are always ready to respond to needs of tour operators and air companies in new destination development”.
Background:
International airport “Kharkov” (http://hrk.aero/) – one of the key objects of the capital Slobozhanshchina, reconstructed at the present time in preparation for the finals of European Football Championship in 2012. Start of large-scale project was given on April 1, 2008, when the company “New Systems AM” (a group of DCH, the owner – a well-known Ukrainian businessman, investor and general coordinator of Kharkov’s preparations for Euro 2012, the president of FC “Metalist” Alexander Yaroslavsky) won the competition for long-term rent integral property complex of Kharkov airport.
Reconstruction of the International Airport “Kharkov” is in the format of public-private partnership. The total investment in the project by Alexander Yaroslavsky was $ 107.2 million (airport terminal and surrounding areas). The amount of funding allocated from the State budget for the reconstruction of the airport complex (including construction and airfield control tower) – $ 191.3 million.
