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Over 200 Ukrainian cannot return home from foreign countries over AeroSvit debts

Ukraine’s foreign ministry and diplomatic missions abroad are controlling the situation
Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS
Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

KIEV, January 7 (Itar-Tass) —— More than 200 Ukrainian nationals, who have tickets to flights of Ukraine’s AeroSvit airlines, cannot return home from foreign countries because of the air carrier’s debts, the press service of the Ukrainian government said on Monday.

According to the press service, Ukraine’s foreign ministry and diplomatic missions abroad are controlling the situation.

As of now, “as many as 196 Ukrainian citizens are staying at the Ho Chi Minh City international airport in Vietnam because of AeroSvit debts,” the press service said. “The Ukrainian embassy in Vietnam is doing its best to provide consular assistance to the Ukrainian passengers in order to help them return home.”

About 80 passengers got stuck in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, after an AeroSvit flight from Kiev was cancelled on January 6. By January 7, according to the press service, almost all passengers have been taken to Kiev by other airlines. “Four passengers who have AeroSvit tickets for January 11 have been accommodated at a hotel,” the press service said.

About 40 Ukrainians were unable to fly home from Stockholm on January 5, however thanks to the efforts taken by the Ukrainian embassy in Sweden they were sent to Ukraine on January 5 and 6. More Ukrainian nationals had to face problems in Stockholm after the AeroSvit flight of January 6 was cancelled. As of now, five Ukrainians who have tickets for this flight are still staying in the Swedish capital.

A similar situation was reported at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport. As many as 45 Ukrainians were unable to leave Israel on January 6, a total of 19 of them later were sent to Kiev by MAU airline. On Monday, 35 Ukrainians are expected to be brought home by other air carriers.

“The Ukrainian foreign ministry’s consular department and diplomatic mission abroad are monitoring the situation and offer all possible consular assistance to Ukrainians who cannot return home,” the press service stressed.

On December 8, 2012, Moscow’s Sheremetyevo international airport filed a suit with the Moscow region court of arbitration to recover AeroSvit debts totaling 92 million roubles. On December 10, Russia’s federal air transport agency suspended servicing of AeroSvit flights across Russia. After AeroSvit repaid its debts, Russia lifted the ban on AeroSvit flights.