Ukraine International Airlines is now offering sightseeing flights over the Chernobyl power plant and the Antonov factory, home of the An-225 Mriya.
Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) are following the example of other airlines and offering their own version of “flights to nowhere” over Kyiv and towards the site of the Chernobyl power plant where a nuclear reactor catastrophe occurred in 1986. The flight will be operated at an altitude of 900 meters above the Dnipro river, on board an Embraer 195 aircraft.
The sightseeing flight, which will start and finish at Kyiv Boryspil International Airport (KBP), will also include the Antonov factory airfield in Gostomel, home of the An-225 Mriya.
“Ukraine International Airlines, at the numerous requests of beloved passengers and just those who miss flying under quarantine conditions, is opening sales for the only unique sightseeing flight “Flight over Kyiv – the world through the eyes of a pilot”, announced the airline on its website.
Upon landing in Kyiv Boryspil Airport, the passengers will be offered a tour of UIA Boeing 777, where they can take pictures in the cockpit and talk with pilots.
Announced on February 12, 2021, the first flight for March 7, 2021, was quickly sold out, prompting the airline to offer a second flight for March 13, 2021. The tickets are sold for roughly $95 each and there are 100 seats per flight being offered.
“Aviation has always been fascinating. For us, this is a sign that everyone missed flights and the sky, just like we do. In addition, for us, employees of the airline, this is a signal that the “behind the scenes” of aviation is very interesting for our passengers. And we with the UIA creative team promise to move in this direction in the future. We are already preparing new interesting projects”, says Bogdan Skotnykov, the head of the “Flight over Kyiv” project.