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General Manager of Atlasglobal Ukraine Khorasan: "We have serious investment targets"
http://tuid.org.ua/atlasglobal-ukrayna- ... erimiz-var
For fast-growing Turkish-Ukrainian associations, air transport is of particular importance. Passenger traffic between the two countries continues to increase as a result of a trip without a passport. Atlasglobal is continuing to upgrade the culvert on the Ukrainian market, which has entered its most challenging times. What are the company's objectives in Ukraine? Is Atlasglobal on the agenda to start flights to Kiev-Istanbul? General Manager of Atlasglobal Ukraine Övünç Khorasan, TUİD WEB'le specific explanations found:
Atlasglobal has been in the Ukrainian market for nearly three years. Has Ukraine met your expectations during this time?
When we entered the Ukrainian market as Atlasglobal, we had plans to establish air routes in different countries. We established the first airline company outside of Turkey in Iraq. Ukraine was also the second step. After that, our strategic plan is to grow by establishing air routes in other countries as well.
We made our first flight in Ukraine in September 2015. From that day onwards we continue our flights by increasing our flight frequencies. Today we fly from Istanbul to Kharkov, Lvov and Zaporoje.
In the first nine months of 2017, the number of passengers we carried and our income exceeded the total figures for the year 2016. In 2017, together with our unit revenue, we were able to reduce our expenses in a meaningful manner. Our occupancy rates have increased above 10 percent on average. Every step we are competitive in the market, increasing the satisfaction of our passengers as the value comes out as a confrontation as the Atlasglobal family as a constant struggle, we develop ourselves.
What is Atlasglobal's near and medium term targets in Ukraine?
We want to establish not only the airline but also other companies supporting airways in Ukraine. We train pilots, hostesses and dispatchers (flight operations specialists) from our flight school in Turkey. We also have a maintenance company that is capable of hangar maintenance, heavy maintenance. We want to carry the same to Ukraine. We intend to support the operations of the airports. We hope that Ukrainian civil aviation will support us in this regard.
The number of passengers we carried was doubled compared to last year. Despite the fact that we do not have a 10-20% increase in supply, we have doubled in both our income and our passenger count. We expect our 2017 figures to be around twice as high as 2016.
The passengers are really happy to fly with us today, trying to fly with us. We follow this very seriously in social media. There are many people from Kiev who ask us when we fly.
From the establishment of our company until today, our greatest motto is "The air way that loves the traveler the most". We try to keep this service at the highest level and to provide this service with the most reasonable prices within the framework of this vision. We have been doing this well for years.
Do you have destinations in Ukraine in the coming period as flight destinations? Are you on the agenda to start flights from Kiev?
We intend to expand our natural flight network in the future. Our priority is Kiev-Istanbul, Odessa-Istanbul since the first day. We need to link our center in Istanbul to our center in Ukraine. When we make this merger we will offer a more advantageous tariff for our passengers.
Odessa and Kiev are our sine qua non. We are in talks to get a direct flight to Kiev. We have the intention to make a center over Odessa and Kiev. We will connect the Middle East and Europe. When this happens, expect a rapid growth in our expectations as well. When we complete this prerequisite, we will have all our plans for the way we will follow, as many planes as we can get in as many years as we can. We just wait for the start date. We have a five-year plan now.
We plan to use Julyani Airport for our scheduled flights from Kiev. We expect these flights to start until the end of 2018.
What are the reasons for not allowing a flight from Kiev?
There are currently 16 flight frequency permits between the two countries and their distribution has already been allocated; we wish that the new frequencies will be approved by agreement of the two countries and allocated to the Atlasglobal family in both Ukraine and Turkey. Thus, we want Kiev passengers to meet with Atlasglobal quality. Unfortunately, the permits of this line, which has a high passenger traffic, are not enough. On behalf of the close associations of the two countries, we have to carry our passengers with new brands and introduce alternative products into the market. Taking priority of an airline which has invested in Ukraine like us and which is also headquartered in Istanbul will allow the passenger to gain a serious advantage and to come to an acceptable level of competition. The development of the aviation infrastructure in Ukraine is also possible with the increase of quality airways, frequencies, passengers and competition.
What is happening in the aviation sector in Ukraine? Is price or quality more important? "Low cost" airline companies have recently increased interest in the country. What do you depend on this? Are you waiting for new player entries on Pazara?
There is a perception in Ukraine that all citizens have a "low cost" expectation. Aviation in Ukraine is not so easy. You pay very high fees against services you receive in Ukraine according to Turkey and Europe. There is tax on one side, fuel prices, and demand on the other. Demand is also entirely price-driven. "Low cost" should also be in Ukraine, of course, but we believe that companies that carry up service and service quality should be included.
Do you think that you will keep an eye on your pricing policies in Ukraine?
We are actually looking at prices every 10-15 minutes like every airline company. All seats have a different price. Many equations are priced.
Tourist visits between Ukraine and Turkey are experiencing a serious increase. Did this situation reflect your flight?
Beginning of identity travel between the two countries affects flights positively. A large number of Turkish citizens without a passport come here, and Ukrainians go to Turkey for business purposes and touristic purposes. Therefore, it is obvious that Turkey and Ukraine will increase their flight capacities slightly. New airports can be added The relationship between Ukraine and Turkey is very strong. We are also experiencing its advantages; because we have no way of developing the two countries' relations without air routes. We are making charter flights between Antalya-Kiev. We carried 55,000 passengers between April and August in charter flights in 2016. This year we are now 115 thousand passengers. Charter has a very strong demand increase.
Do you have worries about the future in Ukraine? Could there be some obstacles in front of your growth?
We are optimistic about the coming years. We have a serious investment plan here. We have the intention of creating a great fleet. We are considering aircraft purchases. We see a very serious investment potential in Ukraine. In Odessa we also have some projects in hospitality and tourism.
Atlasglobal's Ukrainian pilot Oleksandr Akopov was awarded the "courage mark" by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko for preventing a disaster in Istanbul by storming the air in a stormy weather. Could you tell me a bit about this process?
Our Captain Akopov and our assistant pilot Salim are our heroic pilots. I was in Kiev during the flight, followed by the television. In the virtual world, messages, videos came. After the flight, I called my captain and my co-pilot, I wish I had a past, congratulated. They showed great success. Under very difficult conditions they could land the plane. Especially in Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, this issue has created a very serious agenda. Later, the Ministry contacted us and informed that Mr. President POROSKENO wanted to present the government engagement. He already called his captain over the phone. Within a very short period of time, our pilot was given the courage mark. Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Sayın Olmelyan went to Istanbul himself and met with his captain, his assistant pilot.
