This year’s Routes CIS host, Donetsk’s Sergey Prokofiev International Airport is on the verge of agreeing terms with at up to three airlines which could bring an expansion of its network across Ukraine, the CIS and into new European markets. Final discussions with some of the airlines involved took place at the event’s Networking Evening, while other negotiations are expected on the final day of the event. An announcement on at least one of these new air services could be made as early as the airport’s closing press conference later today (July 23, 2013).

This would represent a significant development for the fast-expanding facility and will come just a month after Wizz Air Ukraine revealed it would open a base at the airport later this year to expand its network from Donetsk. The carrier from October 2013 it will base one new Airbus A320 in Donetsk to boost frequencies on its existing route to Kutaisi in Georgia and introduce a three times weekly link to Bergamo and twice weekly flights to London Luton, Memmingen and Rome Fiumicino. This will add to Wizz Air’s recently inaugurated flights to the German city of Dortmund.

In an exclusive interview with The HUB on the sidelines of the Routes CIS Strategy Summit, Oleksiy Dubrevskyy, Chief Commercial Officer at Sergey Prokofiev International Airport, said: “We are currently at a critical time with negotiations to further develop our route network. It is difficult to say how quickly these discussions could be turned into definitive agreements or even if formal arrangements can be concluded.”

It is understood that these discussions could also lead to a second carrier opening an aircraft base at Sergey Prokofiev International Airport, a subject that was alluded to by company executives at the opening press conference. “As an airport there are obvious benefits to having home carriers that can support local demand and develop scheduled and/or charter networks to meet the needs of the travelling public. We are delighted that Wizz Air Ukraine has already made that commitment and would be delighted if a second home carrier could be added,” said Dubrevskyy.

What is certain is that hosting Routes CIS will leave a lasting legacy in Donetsk. “There are already strong reasons to believe Routes CIS will yield a long lasting effect on aviation in Donetsk, the wider region and Ukraine as a whole,” said Dubrevskyy. There is even belief that as its network develops “the airport can become bridge between several countries," according to the executive and it could eventually emerge as a mini-hub. “Hosting Routes CIS is an investment in the future of Sergey Prokofiev International," added Vladislav Bliznyuk, Chief Financial Officer of the airport.