Ukraine’s rookie carrier Air Ocean Airlines makes its first flight

On October 30, 2021, Ukraine’s new air carrier Air Ocean Airlines operated its first regional flight on route Kyiv-Mykolayiv on an An-148 jet aircraft.

That’s according to Antonov SE press service, Ukrinform reports.

Air Ocean Airlines was founded in September 2020, becoming the country’s first carrier to choose An-148s and An-158s of the Antonov family for its regular and charter flights, both on domestic and international routes.

"We intend to start 2 to 2.5-hour flights, which we estimate will be most cost-effective," said Viacheslav Geriga, the airline CEO.

To date, Air Ocean Airlines has two An-148 aircraft in its fleet. Another plane is to be put into operation by the end of this year. In the first or second quarter of 2022, there’ll be three more aircraft. In total, the company plans to operate up to 10 aircraft of this type. They are leased from a Cyprus-incorporated CYPRUS AIRCRAFT LEASING 2 (CAL) LTD.

The An-148s will be fully maintained in Ukraine, the company said in the statement.

The glider will be serviced by Antonov, the engine – by PJSC Motor Sich, and the chassis – by Pivdenmash. Other enterprises involved in maintenance include Ekran, Elektronprylad, FED, HACB, UKRANALYT, and many other companies. To train the flight crews, SE Antonov provides a comprehensive simulator allowing to work out any emergency situations that may arise during actual flights.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, in April 2020, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine announced his intention to create a government-run airline, whose fleet will consist exclusively of aircraft manufactured by SE Antonov.

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