Press releases

MINSK, 28 March (BelTA) - Belavia is planning to increase the number of flights from Minsk to Kiev and Odessa, BelTA learned from the press service of the airline.

“Fifth daily flight Minsk-Kiev-Minsk and three new flights from Minsk to Odessa will make the travel from these Ukrainian cities to 47 points in Europe and CIS countries through Minsk more comfortable and will satisfy tourist demand in the holiday period,” the press service said.

Earlier Belavia operated two daily flights from Minsk to Borispol airport in Kiev and two flights to the international airport Kiev (Zhulyany). From 25 April to 29 October 2016 the Belarusian air company will operate the third flight to the international airport Kiev (Zhulyany). Thus, Belavia will operate five flights to the Ukrainian capital per day.

The additional daily flight will depart from Minsk at 14.15, from Kiev (Zhulyany) at 17.15. Travel time will be one hour. “Launching additional flights is primarily due to seasonality. The summer schedule came into force on 27 March which heralds the beginning of the high season and increased demand from holidaymakers,” the press service cited Belavia Director General Anatoly Gusarov as saying.

The Belarusian air carrier is planning to start an additional flight from Minsk to Odessa on 17 June and will fly three times per week.

“Odessa hosts around 3.5 million tourists and can receive even more,” said Anatoly Gusarov. According to him, the Belarusian side expects that the number of Ukrainian tourists wishing to holiday in Belarus will increase too. “To promote the tourism potential of Belarus on the Ukrainian market, we, together with our partners, organized a visit of Belarusian tour operators and mass media to Odessa. Representatives of Odessa will travel to Minsk on a return visit in the near future,” the head of the air company said.

Belavia is the largest air carrier in Belarus by the number of passengers and cargoes it transports. In January 2014 the Belarusian airline acquired a legal status of an open joint stock company. Belavia operates 27 aircraft, and offers regulars flights to 46 destinations in Europe and Asia. Belavia joined the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in 1997 and the European Regions Airline Association (ERAA) in 2010. In 2015 Belavia carried over 2 million passengers.