Evgeny Dykhne
The change in management at Boryspil International Airport has sparked media interest: too many questions have accumulated around Ukraine's main air gateway in recent years. How these questions will be resolved and what will happen to the airport is discussed in an interview with its new director (currently, acting), Yevhen Dykhne.
— Isn't going from the railway to the airport too drastic a change in occupation?
"I wouldn't call myself a pure railroader—I already have experience working in airlines. Rather, the questions arose when I was transferred from aviation to the railroad."
Although, I agree, it was a very unexpected proposal. But also very interesting.
— Aren’t you afraid of such a return to aviation?
— On the contrary, I accepted the offer to work at Boryspil with joy.
— How different is an airport from a railway?
"It's different, of course, but I've known Boryspil for a long time, both as a passenger and as an airline executive. Of course, there are plenty of comments and suggestions for improving the airport's operations. Now there's a unique opportunity to put these ideas into practice."
In general, I've always adhered to the principle of "the road for passengers, not the other way around." In the service sector, in transport, this is the only correct strategy. Although it's not easy to implement, I think we, and I mean the airport team, will succeed.
As the head of the airline, I personally had a lot of questions. So I know what I need to work on and feel confident. What I definitely lack is time.
— What tasks did the Ministry of Infrastructure set for you when you were appointed?
— First and foremost, we need to prepare the airport for operations in challenging, I would say extreme, conditions. This includes reduced passenger traffic and the impact of external factors.
— Do you expect a decline in the work of carriers?
"We must be prepared for any scenario, given what's happening in the east of the country. The overall trend in transportation development, influenced by both external and internal factors, is currently challenging in Ukraine."
So far, the decline in Boryspil itself has been fairly gradual, but we must be prepared for all scenarios.
— What issues do you consider to be a priority?
"We need to optimize processes within the company, both technological and economic. It's vitally important to evaluate the performance of each department. A situation where the shortcomings of some segments are offset by the successes of others, resulting in a positive airport performance average, may be comforting for some. But it's fundamentally flawed."
— How do you work with Donbass?
"You know what happened to the Donetsk and Luhansk airports. Missions from the UN, the OSCE, and a number of other organizations are working with us. Just before our meeting, together with the CEO of Ukraine International Airlines and the UN representative in Ukraine, we received humanitarian aid intended to assist in the reconstruction of destroyed buildings in the Donbas."
We, as an airport, provided the lowest air service rates for this flight, and made ground handling completely free.
— You mentioned UIA… How do you plan to build a relationship with the airline? What do you think about the idea of a base carrier?
"We haven't held any separate meetings yet. That's all still to come. First, I need to study all the existing issues in more detail and formulate my own position. Not to mention the need to develop a unified position with the State Aviation Service and aviation authorities, and prepare cooperation proposals for the airline."
Generally speaking, the relationship between the airport and its base carrier is, first and foremost, a business relationship that should be mutually beneficial. It's clear that we will seek out new carriers and offer competitive terms to encourage them to come to us and fly through Boryspil.
But UIA is a constant, the foundation on which everything else is built. And their fleet is many times larger than any other airline in our market. So we can add or lose any airline, but UIA will remain here either way. This is their home… I'm confident that we will find common ground and understanding on this issue. This is in the interests of both companies—the airline and the airport.
One of the reasons your predecessors left was the shortcomings of passenger transportation. How do you plan to improve the situation?
"Well, it was the final straw that led to a change in airport management. I've already said that the main principle of airport development is to make it comfortable for passengers. For example, resolving the issue of automobile transportation—taxis, buses. At Boryspil, they still yank passengers by the sleeve, offering dubious and expensive transportation services to the city. It's outrageous."
We'll tackle the problem step by step. First, we'll get the Sky Taxi service, which served its purpose during the Euro 2012 football championship, back in order.
An economic analysis shows that the airport doesn't need a separate taxi service. The cars purchased under the Euro should simply be sold, and the airport should be equipped with several carriers that meet strict, but uniform, requirements.
Airports have always been an attractive business. They just need to be opened and strictly controlled.
I believe that in the near future a special service will be created at the airport that will regulate the technical and technological aspects of the operation of both taxis and other transport, including commuter buses.
— What about the Aeroexpress project to Boryspil?
"Of course, it's a possibility. But for now, the construction of the line is like a child without an eye. Everyone's interested, but no one's actually working on it. In reality, the project is very necessary, both for the railway and the airport, but most importantly, for passengers. So I'm an optimist and, I hope, a realist."
— But transportation is far from the only problem.
"There's certainly a fair amount of them. Sometimes it's simply astonishing. For example, for the winter season, we're opening up the second floor of Terminal D for domestic flights. I inspected the work in progress and asked for a plan for the placement of passenger seats, rest areas, and shops. It turned out there was no such plan. Everyone was planning to figure it out, how would it work out?"
The issue of building a parking lot near Terminal D also requires a solution. From what I've learned, we're having major problems with the contractor, who has already received a significant advance. The contractor is still receiving payments. But the funds have already been spent, and the work is still at a standstill.
And then there's the same problem with providing food for passengers and handling their luggage. In short, there are plenty of problems.
— Can we expect personnel changes in the Boryspil leadership with your arrival?
— Yes, yes. As a manager, I'll work with people I trust and understand. Otherwise, how will I be able to accomplish the assigned tasks? But these will be purely selective changes. Optimizing the personnel structure won't lead to mass layoffs.
I understand perfectly well that the airport doesn't rely solely on me, my beloved. There are many professionals working here. I have confidence in them; I have no doubts about their qualifications. So I will value these people and listen to them. They will definitely accomplish their mission.
I'm currently acting. So, I think I'll have to work hard and prove myself to be approved by the Ministry of Infrastructure.
— Before Ukrzaliznytsia, you headed Lviv Airlines for two years. It went bankrupt—that's not the best recommendation…
"Lviv Airlines did indeed collapse in 2011. But by then I'd been gone for two years. I worked there from 2007 to 2009. I arrived and accepted frozen bank accounts and aircraft that had been decommissioned. And I left with functioning Yak-42s, which were making charter flights to Italy, Georgia, and Kyiv.
At the time, it was a success. We retained our flight crew and renewed all our licenses. But then, unexpectedly, my contract was terminated. For reasons unknown to me. Frankly, I think the company could have been saved.
Will Boryspil remain a state-owned enterprise? Are there any plans to prepare it for a concession, for example?
"If a concession is to be made, it will only be for economic, not political, reasons. But for now, it must remain state-owned. Perhaps other decisions will be made."
However, the most important thing is that Boryspil remains an efficient enterprise. Changes in ownership are definitely not on the agenda yet.
Olesya Safronova, ZN
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