The Ukrainian low-cost airline Bees Airline is defending itself against the revocation of its AOC and operating licence. The company has appealed the decision of the Civil Aviation Administration of Ukraine.

The carrier had to cease its own flight operations even before the army of the Russian Federation invaded, because the lessors had concerns about the tense situation and asked Bees Airline to use the Boeing 737-800 machines temporarily out of the country. Other carriers, including SkyUp and Ukraine International, were also affected by the lessors' decisions.

In a short transition phase, Bees Airline was still able to transport passengers with the help of ACMI devices and a close alliance with competitors. From February 24, 2022, it was all over because the Russian Federation attacked Ukraine. For safety reasons, civil air traffic has been suspended since the beginning of the war.

Among other things, Bees Airline states: “In this very difficult time, the whole country is fighting the enemy with united efforts. If we unite, we will definitely win, because we are also working to make Ukraine an economically strong and independent country. Bees Airline's planes were already decommissioned before February 24 because the lessor wanted to evacuate the planes from the territory of Ukraine due to military risks."

The suspended position that was applied for became a withdrawal

From the carrier's perspective, the Civil Aviation Authority acted unlawfully. The office was approached and requested that the AOC and operating license be suspended due to the war. Bees Airline has assumed that the authority will comply and that the certificates will be reactive after the end of the war. However, things turned out differently.

“However, the regulator has decided to withdraw the certificate without the advance warning required by aviation regulations and without consulting the airline. We are satisfied that maintaining Bees Airline's AOC did not pose a threat to aviation and there was no need for the certificate to be revoked. Such a decision by the State Aviation Authority of Ukraine is discriminatory and unfounded, aimed at the ultimate destruction of the aviation industry in Ukraine, which is already on the verge of survival. This is not the only decision by the state aviation authority that is surprising and questionable from an aviation regulatory point of view," Bees Airline said in a statement.

Bees Airline pissed off at Ukrainian aviation authority

The decision of the Civil Aviation Authority of Ukraine will not be accepted without a fight. The company announces that they will exhaust all legal remedies as they feel they have been treated unfairly. It is also believed that not everything is done "cleanly" and "according to the regulations".

Bees Airline explains: “Today, the attitude of the leadership of the state aviation authority is not constructive and the activities are not geared towards the preservation and restoration of aviation. The airline has filed a complaint with the head of the State Aviation Administration of Ukraine and has contacted the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine to reveal the violations in the adoption of the decision on the cancellation of the certificate. We will defend our rights, fight for our business and prove that Bees Airline has the right to continue conducting its business in a professional and quality manner."

In contrast to its competitor SkyUp, Bees Airline has not changed striving for ACMI contracts in the European Union, but flight operations have been generally suspended since February 2022. The competitor flies for, among other things Corendon, smartwings and Wizz Air. Recently it became known that under the project name SkyUp Malta an EU branch is launched.