newstodate.aero
Nov 23, 2007 (newstodate): The new direct air service between Billund, Denmark, and Lviv, Ukraine, launched on October 19, 2007, has been suspended since the beginning of November.
Behind the new route is UPG Airservice, set up by a group of Danish companies with production or subsidiaries in Ukraine, and Ukrainean investors in European Business Association.
-The twice-weekly flights have been suspended, but plans are to start operations again from February, probably offering one monthly flight to monitor the market response, says Jette Balslev, UPG Airservice sales manager.
-We were quite optimistic from the start as we received many positive signals from potential customers. But eventually they did not book flights as envisaged, and we ended up with only five passengers on flights calculated to have at least 20 paying passengers on a Dornier 328 aircraft allowing 37 passengers.
-We remain convinced that there is indeed a market for a direct air service like this, but it remains of course a balance between time saved compared to other options, and a higher price due to the operational economics of the route, says Ms Balslev.
Behind the new route is UPG Airservice, set up by a group of Danish companies with production or subsidiaries in Ukraine, and Ukrainean investors in European Business Association.
-The twice-weekly flights have been suspended, but plans are to start operations again from February, probably offering one monthly flight to monitor the market response, says Jette Balslev, UPG Airservice sales manager.
-We were quite optimistic from the start as we received many positive signals from potential customers. But eventually they did not book flights as envisaged, and we ended up with only five passengers on flights calculated to have at least 20 paying passengers on a Dornier 328 aircraft allowing 37 passengers.
-We remain convinced that there is indeed a market for a direct air service like this, but it remains of course a balance between time saved compared to other options, and a higher price due to the operational economics of the route, says Ms Balslev.