SkyUp Airlines

SkyUp Airlines LLC is a Ukrainian charter and low-cost airline headquartered in Kyiv,[3] which began its operation in May 2018.[4] During 2021, the airline carried 2,546,899 passengers, performed 15,962 flights, and transported 786.5 tons of cargo. Its staff is 1172 employees.[5]

SkyUp Airlines
IATA ICAO Callsign
PQ SQP SKYUP
Founded2016
Commenced operations21 May 2018 (2018-05-21)
Operating bases
Fleet size10[1]
Destinations116[2]
HeadquartersKyiv, Ukraine
Websiteskyup.aero

History

In 2016, SkyUp became a registered company in Kyiv, Ukraine. On 14 December 2017, Minister of Infrastructure Volodymyr Omelyan announced the launch of a new national private air carrier named SkyUp Airlines. The main shareholders of the company were ACS-Ukraine Ltd, Yuri Alba and Tatyana Alba, who also owned the tour operator Join UP!, which was expected to cooperate with the airline to provide charter flights for holiday packages.[6]

Plans for the first year included concentrating on international charter flights to popular summer destinations, as well as scheduled flights within Ukraine and to several international destinations. Tickets sales were set to begin in April 2018. SkyUp also intends to cooperate with Ukraine International Airlines.[7]

The company started operations on 21 May 2018 with a flight from Kyiv-Zhuliany to Sharm El Sheikh.[8] In March 2018, SkyUp Airlines and Boeing finalised a firm order for the purchase of two Boeing 737 8 MAX and three Boeing 737 MAX 10 due to be delivered in 2023. Additionally the airline has the option to purchase another five aircraft.[9][10] At its launch the airline intended to operate charter flights from both Kyiv-Boryspil and Kyiv-Zhuliany, as well as Kharkiv, Lviv, Odesa and other cities in Ukraine to a total of sixteen destinations: Alicante, Antalya, Barcelona, Bodrum, Burgas, Dalaman, Dubai, Hurghada, Larnaca, Palma de Mallorca, Nice, Rimini, Sharm El Sheikh, Tenerife, Tivat, Tel Aviv and Varna.[11] Following the launch of the charter operations, the airline planned to commence domestic services from Odesa to Kyiv, Kharkiv and Lviv in late May or early June 2018. The airline also intended to operate international services from Kyiv to Barcelona, Dubai and Larnaca.[7][11]

In February 2019, the airline announced it would be moving its main base from the Zhuliany to Boryspil from the beginning of the summer schedule. The airline said that the decision to change the home airport was made due to restrictions on the operation of aircraft at Zhuliany Airport.[12] Also in 2019 SkyUp was hit by court attack[13] with controversial guilty verdicts resulted in their license being suspended. However, journalists revealed that the woman, who allegedly appealed to the court, said she had never been SkyUp’s client and did not appeal to the court.[14] Prime Minister of Ukraine, as well as Minister of Infrastructure called the court attack suspicious.[15] Later guilty verdicts and license suspension were recalled, while the judge, responsible for the illegal verdict, was dismissed.[16]

On 20 February 2020, one of the airline's planes was chartered by the Ukrainian government to evacuate citizens from Wuhan during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was back then not a pandemic.[17]

In 2021 SkyUp became the first Ukrainian airline to launch direct flights from Saudi Arabia to Ukraine.[18]

In October 2021, a new uniform for flight attendants was introduced: high-heeled shoes were replaced by sneakers, and trouser suits instead of skirts.[19]

SkyUp Airlines won the Heart of Airspace nomination according to the Ukraine Tourism Awards 2021.[20]

On 24 February 2022, coinciding with the closure of Ukrainian airspace to civil aviation traffic, SkyUp canceled all flights through 6 March 2022.[21] Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, the airline has been conducting evacuation and humanitarian flights,[22] as well as providing wet leasing for its fleet.[23]

In May 2023 SkyUp announced the formation of a new company based in Malta named SkyUp MT, and a Boeing 737-800 registered 9H-SAU was transferred to it. They announced that it would perform wet-leasing flights with the hope that scheduled services within Europe could eventually be operated.[24] The airline has an ICAO code of SEU with a callsign of Sky Malta.[25]

Destinations
SkyUp Boeing 737-700
SkyUp Boeing 737-800
Main article: List of SkyUp destinations

As of October 2021, SkyUp serves 64 scheduled year-round and seasonal destinations from airports in Ukraine, some of which are operated as charters. The airline mainly serves routes throughout Europe and the Middle East.[26]

Fleet

As of April 2023, SkyUp Airlines operates the following aircraft:[27]

SkyUp Airlines fleet
Aircraft In service Orders Passengers Notes
Boeing 737-700 2[28] — 149 One in FC Shakhtar Donetsk special livery.[29]
Boeing 737-800 9[28] — 189
Boeing 737 MAX 8 — 2[9] TBA
Boeing 737 MAX 10 — 3[9] TBA
Total 11 5

Incidents and accidents

In Culture

The aircraft and uniform of SkyUp flight attendants appear in Max Barskih’s video Just Fly.[31]

See also

References
  1. "OUR FLEET". skyup.aero. 9 December 2021.
  2. "Flight search on skyup.aero". SkyUp. 4 September 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  3. "Contact". SkyUp. Retrieved 2022-03-18. 02121, Ukraine, Kyiv, Kharkivske highway, 201 / 203-2a
  4. "SkyUp". centreforaviation.com. 24 March 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  5. "New Record in Transportations, Uniform for Champions and More Opportunities to Travel: SkyUp Sums Up 2021 · p. 416". SkyUp Airlines. Retrieved 2022-03-22.
  6. "From Kyiv to Odesa for 500 UAH - in March 2018, Ukrainian Lowestoft SkyUp will work". tokar.ua. 28 December 2017. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  7. "Ukraine's SkyUp to launch in April 2018". ch-aviation.com. 15 December 2017. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  8. "Ukrainian Airline SkyUp Performs First Flight". cfts.org.ua. 23 May 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  9. "Ukraine's SkyUp orders 5+5 B737 MAX; to launch in early 2Q18". ch-aviation.com. 21 March 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  10. "Boeing, SkyUp Airlines Finalize Order for Five 737 MAX Airplanes". ch-aviation.com. 20 March 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  11. "New airline SkyUp to start operating from April 2018". interfax.com.ua. 14 December 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  12. "Ukraine's SkyUP to move from Zhuliany to Boryspil Airport". 112.international. 28 February 2019.
  13. "The saga of David and Goliath on the outskirts of Kyiv". Atlantic Council. September 6, 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  14. Свобода, Радіо (23 July 2019). ""Позивачка" до SkyUp дійшла до Верховного суду, щоб зупинити апеляцію авіаперевізника". Радіо Свобода (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2021-03-16.
  15. "Fingers point to monopolist Ukraine International Airlines as new low-coster SkyUp hit by court attack". Euromaidan press. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  16. "The HCJ dismissed judge of Baryshivskyi district court of Kyiv region Lytvynenko O.L. from office for substantial disciplinary offense".
  17. "(ВІДЕО) У Харкові прикордонники забезпечили оформлення евакуйованих з КНР громадян".
  18. "We open Ukraine to the world: SkyUp brings the first tourists from Saudi Arabia". European Business Association. 2021-06-22. Retrieved 2022-03-22.
  19. "Flight attendants trade heels for sneakers on Ukraine's SkyUp Airlines". CNN. 11 October 2021. Retrieved 2022-03-22.
  20. "Winners of the Ukraine Tourism Awards 2021". visitukraine.today. Retrieved 2022-03-22.
  21. "To the Passengers of Cancelled SkyUp Flights". SkyUp Airlines. 25 February 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  22. "SkyUp, together with Israeli humanitarian funds, transported 16 tons of cargo · p. 429". SkyUp Airlines. Retrieved 2022-03-22.
  23. "SkyUp's call to the international business community: we can help Ukraine together · p. 431". SkyUp Airlines. Retrieved 2022-03-22.
  24. Kaminski-Morrow, David. "Ukraine's SkyUp creates Maltese carrier to establish EU presence". FlightGlobal. DVV Media International. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  25. "SkyUp Europe". Planespotters.net. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  26. skyup.aero - All flights retrieved 10 October 2020
  27. "Please verify your request | Planespotters.net".
  28. "SkyUp Airlines fleet". flightradar24.com. 21 March 2018. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  29. iSport.ua (2019-04-09). "Шахтер показал самолет в фирменной ливрее в цветах клуба". iSport.ua. Retrieved 2019-07-27.
  30. Hogg, Ryan. "A Saudi Arabian airline said an A330 plane was involved in an 'accident' at Khartoum airport in Sudan". Business Insider.
  31. MAX BARSKIH — Just Fly (Official Video), retrieved 2022-03-22

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