The International Air Transport Association (IATA) formalized a strategic partnership with the Ministry of Transport of Ukraine and the State Aviation Administration of Ukraine with the signing of a Memorandum of Intention (MoI) for seven specific areas of cooperation: aviation safety; security; technology; airport infrastructure; air navigation; ground handling, and training.  Specific points addressed in Bisignani’s dialogue with Transport Minister Kostiantyn Efymenko and Deputy Minister Kolisnyk included improving safety, simplifying the business, and infrastructure charges.
Just Ukraine has made progress to improve safety but many challenges remain, IATA officials say.  The country has been a Category 2 state for five years under the US Federal Aviation Administration International Safety Assessment Program. «The safety record has improved but more needs to be done,» Bisignani says. «We must accelerate the work to bring safety oversight in line with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) is already delivering significant benefits by improving safety. Both Aerosvit and Ukrainian International Airlines are on the IOSA registry. I look forward to exploring further ways to expand the use of all IATA’s auditing programs in Ukraine, including making IOSA a national requirement.» He said that Ukraine’s system is one of the most expensive in Europe and remains one of the least productive. «This undermines the competitiveness of Ukraine. We need immediate reform. It is time to begin a new ere of consultation and transparency in line with ICAO guidelines. The government can no longer treat aviation – including air traffic management – as a cash cow». «Ukraine’s economy is growing again, which will lead to an improved aviation market,» he continues. The agreement «opens the door to even broader cooperation between Ukraine and IATA.  It is our hope that the government can quickly address the challenges of safety and infrastructure.  IATA brings global standards and expertise that will help ensure that aviation in Ukraine continues to develop and improve its competitiveness.»