Ukraine International Airlines, better known as UIA and operating under the codes PS/AUI, was for many years Ukraine’s main international airline. Based at Kyiv Boryspil International Airport, the airline connected Ukraine with destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America.
Founded in 1992, shortly after Ukrainian independence, UIA gradually developed Boryspil into a connecting hub. Its familiar blue-and-yellow livery became a regular sight at European airports. The airline’s fleet included Boeing 737s for much of its European network, Embraer regional jets and, later, Boeing 767 and Boeing 777 aircraft for longer routes.
My flights with Ukraine International Airlines
I flew with Ukraine International Airlines on four flights between 2016 and 2019, experiencing three different aircraft types: the Boeing 737-500, Boeing 737-800 and Embraer 190.
Istanbul to Kyiv: PS714
My first UIA flight was on 30 January 2016, when I flew from Istanbul Atatürk Airport to Kyiv Boryspil on flight PS714.
The aircraft was a Boeing 737-500, one of the older members of UIA’s fleet at the time. The flight took around two hours, departing Istanbul at 15:30 and arriving in Kyiv at 17:30.
For an aviation enthusiast, the 737-500 made this flight particularly interesting. The type has since become increasingly rare in regular European passenger service, so looking back, this flight represents a very different period of European aviation.
Kyiv to Chisinau: PS897
Later that same day, I continued from Kyiv to Chisinau aboard flight PS897.
Once again, the aircraft was a Boeing 737-500. The short hop to Moldova took approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, departing Boryspil at 19:35 and arriving in Chisinau at 20:50.
These two flights gave me the chance to experience Kyiv Boryspil as UIA intended it to be used: as a connecting hub between different parts of Europe and the surrounding region. Istanbul to Chisinau via Kyiv was a good example of the connecting network UIA had built around its Ukrainian base.
Returning to UIA in 2019
More than three years later, I flew with Ukraine International Airlines again. This time I was travelling from Odessa to Brussels via Kyiv on 2 June 2019.
Odessa to Kyiv: PS60
The first sector was PS60 from Odessa to Kyiv Boryspil.
This short domestic flight was operated by an Embraer ERJ-190, registration UR-EMD. We departed Odessa at 17:25 and arrived at Boryspil at 18:25, giving a scheduled flight time of just one hour.
The Embraer 190 was a completely different experience from the older 737-500s I had flown in 2016. Its smaller 2-2 cabin configuration made it particularly well suited to shorter domestic and regional services.
It was also my only domestic flight with UIA.
Kyiv to Brussels: PS147
From Boryspil, I continued home to Belgium on PS147 to Brussels.
This flight was operated by Boeing 737-800 UR-PSV. We departed Kyiv at 20:40 and arrived in Brussels at 22:40, with a scheduled duration of approximately three hours.
Compared with my 2016 flights, the 737-800 represented the more modern face of UIA’s short and medium-haul fleet. It was also a fitting final sector for my journey: a domestic Embraer flight into the airline’s Boryspil hub followed by a Boeing 737 connection to Western Europe.
My UIA flight log
| Date | Flight | Route | Aircraft | Registration | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Jan 2016 | PS714 | Istanbul Atatürk – Kyiv Boryspil | Boeing 737-500 | Unknown | 2h00 |
| 30 Jan 2016 | PS897 | Kyiv Boryspil – Chisinau | Boeing 737-500 | Unknown | 1h15 |
| 2 Jun 2019 | PS60 | Odessa – Kyiv Boryspil | Embraer 190 | UR-EMD | 1h00 |
| 2 Jun 2019 | PS147 | Kyiv Boryspil – Brussels | Boeing 737-800 | UR-PSV | 3h00 |
In total, I spent 7 hours and 15 minutes aboard Ukraine International Airlines aircraft.
Looking back
What makes these flights interesting to me today is how they capture UIA at two different moments. In 2016, I experienced the older Boeing 737-500, while in 2019 I flew the Embraer 190 and Boeing 737-800. In only four flights, I therefore managed to experience three aircraft types from the airline’s fleet.
My journeys also showed two important sides of UIA’s network. In 2016, Boryspil served as my connection between Türkiye and Moldova, while in 2019 it connected a domestic Ukrainian flight from Odessa with an international service to Brussels.
Ukraine International Airlines suspended scheduled operations after Ukrainian airspace was closed to civilian flights in February 2022. As a result, these flights have become more than entries in my flight log. They are memories of a period when Kyiv Boryspil was a busy international hub and UIA’s blue-and-yellow aircraft connected Ukraine with cities across Europe and beyond.
For me, UIA will particularly be remembered for those two Boeing 737-500 flights in 2016, followed three years later by the Odessa–Kyiv–Brussels journey. Together, they form a small but memorable part of my aviation history.