Kolesnikov: Ukraine could impose stricter penalties on airlines for poor service

BERLIN – Airlines could soon face stricter penalties in Ukraine for rendering poor services, Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Infrastructure Borys Kolesnikov said at a briefing after attending the InnoTrans international transport exhibition in Berlin on Tuesday, Sept. 18.

"We will amend the Air Code to toughen penalties. The ministry has received directives on working with airlines from the European Union. I think in three or four weeks it will be submitted to the parliament as a bill for compensation to correspond to that in Western Europe," he said, asked how to influence AeroSvit for improper performance of flights.

Kolesnikov said this cannot concern the cancelation of the license, as thousands of passengers will be affected.

In addition, he said competition would help solve the problem.

"That means that leading airlines should come and go. And the larger is the number of companies, the more AeroSvit will feel competition. There's no other way out," the official said.