Whose interests does the State Aviation Service protect, and why is the figure of Oleksandr Bilchuk, who headed it, not so unambiguous?

The family’s financial successes, “accidental” lucrative deals, long-standing contacts with Russian businessmen, and ambiguous decisions at the strategic level—the image of the temporarily suspended head of the State Aviation Service, Oleksandr Bilchuk, raises many questions. And these questions concern not only the transparency of his assets but also the possible influence of the aggressor country on a key area of Ukrainian security.

Scandalous decision of the State Aviation ServiceIn early August 2025, Ukraine’s aviation industry raised the alarm over the decision of the State Aviation Service of Ukraine to grant the right to accompany repair documentation for Mi-8 helicopters to the private foreign company AAL Group Ltd. The company is registered in the UAE and, according to open sources, holds valid certificates from Russian helicopter factories and actively trades with Russian companies. Cooperation with certain partners is so successful that AAL Group Ltd management sent a letter of gratitude to Russian stakeholders for “dedicated and impeccable service, quick feedback, and prompt response to all shipments.” In 2024, expanding its potential, AAL Group Ltd began joint projects with the South African Paramount Group, which media suspected of supplying military equipment to Russia, subsequently used against Ukraine.

The combination of these factors caused a sharp public reaction, as previously the Security Service of Ukraine recommended granting the right to accompany repair documentation for Mi-8 helicopters to a Ukrainian state enterprise. Against this background, the choice of a private foreign company, moreover with potential risks, does not seem an effective solution. People’s deputies from the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security called the State Aviation Service’s decision “anti-state” and urged its cancellation, initiating inspections and public explanations from the regulator. Security experts and industry analysts warned of the risks of technical dependence and possible sanctions/export violations, insisting on a transparent procedure and the return of control to the state enterprise.

Due to the wide resonance, the Cabinet of Ministers temporarily suspended Bilchuk from his duties as head of the State Aviation Service, and an official investigation is underway regarding his decision. In addition, the Security Service of Ukraine is conducting a relevant check.

Given all the circumstances, the person of the temporarily suspended head of the State Aviation Service, Oleksandr Bilchuk, requires special attention—it was on him that managerial responsibility for the decisions made, their transparency, and compliance with national security interests was focused until recently.

How Oleksandr Bilchuk, who headed the State Aviation Service, livesOleksandr Bilchuk is a 47-year-old Kyiv resident, married to Tetiana Bilchuk; together they raise a son Andrii and a daughter Sofia. In 2000, he graduated from the Kyiv International University of Civil Aviation. After graduation, he worked at the State Department of Aviation Transport, and later at the State Service for Aviation Safety Supervision and the State Aviation Administration.

Since 2011, his career has been associated with the State Aviation Service: first, in positions in the department of aircraft airworthiness and type certification, and in March 2016, Oleksandr Bilchuk headed the agency and has been managing it for nine years since then. However, during this period, the State Aviation Service can hardly be considered a leader of change, while the personal development and financial condition of its head show steady growth.

It is worth noting that before starting work at the State Aviation Service, Oleksandr Bilchuk worked in state institutions, and his wife Tetiana is a teacher of the highest category at the Kyiv Professional College of Tourism and Hotel Management.

In 2016—Bilchuk’s first year as Head of the State Aviation Service—the family already owned quite significant assets: over 200,000 UAH, 83,000 USD, and about 5,000 EUR in savings, two apartments (29.3 m² and 92.1 m²), a garage (38.5 m²), and two cars—a Volkswagen Tiguan (2011 model year) and a Honda Jazz (2010 model year). The declaration does not specify the value of the cars, but the year the family acquired ownership of them coincides with the year of manufacture of the cars. According to data from open sources, the price of these models at that time was at least 23,000 and 15,000 USD, respectively.

In fact, the couple’s assets significantly exceeded the typical level of provision for a family of a civil servant and a teacher.

Over the following years, according to the submitted declarations, Oleksandr Bilchuk received an average salary of about 1.27 million UAH/year, and his wife Tetiana—an average of 205,000 UAH/year.

Let’s consider real estate transactions. In 2018, an apartment with an area of 29.3 m² was sold for 694,843 UAH (≈25,000 USD at the average NBU exchange rate for that year). In June 2020, an apartment with an area of 47.4 m² was purchased for 1,352,628 UAH (≈50,000 USD at the NBU exchange rate). In fact, to purchase the new apartment after selling the smaller one, about 25,000 USD had to be added from existing savings.

In addition, in 2021, Bilchuk declared the transfer of cash in the amount of 2 million UAH (≈73,000 USD at the average NBU exchange rate for that year) to his son. And in the same year, a 65 m² apartment appeared in the declaration as an object not yet put into operation, with Oleksandr Bilchuk’s son, Andrii, listed as the owner. In all subsequent declarations of the father for 2022-2024, it is no longer mentioned.

Transactions with movable property are also quite interesting. The 2010 Honda Jazz owned by the Bilchuk family was replaced in June 2019 by a new Honda HR-V (756,000 UAH and ≈26,400 USD at the NBU exchange rate on the date of purchase). Subsequently, the 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan was also sold (285,000 UAH ≈28,600 USD at the NBU exchange rate on the date of sale). And in 2024, Oleksandr Bilchuk purchased a 2019 Infiniti Q50 for 200,000 UAH (≈5,000 USD at the NBU exchange rate on the date of purchase). At the same time, according to the “AUTO.RIA” platform, the market price of such a car, depending on its condition and technical characteristics, started from at least 15-16 thousand USD.

The processes of buying and selling cars and apartments in the Bilchuk family look somewhat strange. After all, finding a car that costs 15 thousand dollars on the market and buying it for 5 thousand is a stroke of luck that does not happen to everyone. At the same time, it can be assumed that these deals were balanced by the available savings at the start. In this case, the financial “safety cushion” should have gradually decreased – that’s what most of us would think. However, in the case of the Bilchuk family, the situation looks opposite: even officially declared savings in dollars and euros did not decrease during Oleksandr Bilchuk’s years as head of the State Aviation Service, but on the contrary – grew.