Instead of development – inaction: how state institutions undermine the future of aviation

Ukrainian aviation has the potential and specialists ready to move the industry forward. However, instead of support, it faces the inaction of state institutions that do not use existing opportunities for effective solutions even during wartime. Ksenia Semenova, President of the Kyiv Aviation Institute, spoke about the challenges and opportunities for the industry, UNN writes.

DetailsUkrainian aviation operates during the war, including military and cargo aviation, but according to Ksenia Semenova, President of the Kyiv Aviation Institute, the state is ashamed to support the industry – there is a lack of state representation, protection of potential, and proper conditions for development.

In aviation, there are issues where the State Aviation Service of Ukraine is somehow very much underperforming. There are sailors who can legally travel abroad on ships. But pilots cannot. We let sailors go because there is a very powerful industry association there, and a very powerful lobby, including at the level of some deputies. But there is no one to lobby for the interests of pilots.

The President of KAI emphasized that real steps for the civil aviation industry are possible now. One of them is the resumption of commercial cargo flights, but for this, someone must take responsibility. The State Aviation Service could become a driver of change, but its inaction undermines the future of aviation.

Aviation is a very specific industry. If you don’t maintain the qualifications of employees, the infrastructure at the airport, then you will have to build everything from scratch. And it will cost more than maintaining it.

The lack of a leadership role of the State Aviation Service of Ukraine in the development of civil aviation is not surprising, as its recent decisions are called by experts and politicians not only ineffective, but critical for the state. This refers to the resonant decision to transfer the right to accompany repair documentation for Mi-8 helicopters to the private foreign company AAL Group Ltd, which is associated with the Russian defense complex.

According to open sources, AAL Group Ltd is registered in the United Arab Emirates in the Sharjah Airport International Free (SAIF) zone, which has a reputation as an offshore zone with tax benefits and a high level of secrecy regarding business owners. The company holds certification from a Russian aircraft factory that is part of the “Russian Helicopters” holding, which indicates its close ties with the Russian defense industry. A number of publications also stated that “Rostec” could be the beneficiary of AAL Group. In addition, the company has repeatedly appeared in so-called “gray” schemes for helicopter repair in Iraq and Afghanistan. And in 2024, AAL Group Ltd announced a partnership with the South African Paramount Group, which international media linked to possible arms supplies to Russia for waging war against Ukraine.

Thus, the position of KAI President Ksenia Semenova regarding the work of the State Aviation Service is superimposed on a broader context – the aviation industry remains without state support, and the relevant regulator, instead of a course for development, makes destructive decisions. Such steps, among other things, threaten defense capabilities, because Mi-8 helicopters are the basis of army aviation and the Air Force of Ukraine.

RecallThe right to accompanyrepair documentation for Mi-8 helicopters was sought by Ukrainian state enterprises that have many years of experience and all the necessary competencies. However, numerous appeals from these enterprises were virtually ignored by the State Aviation Service and its head Oleksandr Bilchuk, who has now been suspended from duty in connection with disciplinary proceedings.

Commenting on the situation, former Deputy Prosecutor General, lawyer Oleksiy Baganets emphasized that in the case of intentional preference given to companies associated with the business and economy of the aggressor country, such actions can be qualified as aimed at undermining the national security of Ukraine.

In parliament, there are also demands to cancel this decision. MP Fedir Venislavskyi called the actions of the State Aviation Service “anti-state”, and Mykhailo Tsymbalyuk emphasized their economic inexpediency and unacceptability in wartime.