At this time, when the airspace for civil aviation over Ukraine has been closed and air transportation has been halted due to Russian military aggression, Ukraine marks a solemn date – the 100th anniversary of the first commercial flight from Kharkiv to Kyiv.
The history of civil aviation development in Ukraine dates back to the establishment of the Ukrainian Joint Stock Company for Air Communications "Ukrvozdukhput" in Kharkiv in 1923. Specifically, on March 23, 1923, in Kharkiv, which then held the status of the capital of Ukraine, the company "Ukrvozdukhput" was organized, becoming the first airline on the territory of the republic, with 51% of its shares owned by the state.
By 1924, Ukrvozdukhput had prepared everything necessary for the commencement of regular passenger flights in the skies over Ukraine. Kharkiv became the central hub, where a large reinforced concrete hangar and workshop facilities were constructed. From there, air routes were established: Kharkiv-Poltava-Kyiv and Kharkiv-Poltava-Kremenchuk-Odesa. Accordingly, passenger airports needed to be equipped in these cities.
In Kyiv, for this purpose, the military airfield near Zhuliany was adapted, which is now the international airport "Kyiv" named after I. Sikorsky. After all the reconstructions, in the pre-war year, it ranked third in air transportation.
On May 25, 1924, a trial flight from Kharkiv arrived here with the Ukrvozdukhput plane "Red Chemist" (Dornier Komet system). Passengers experienced the speed of travel for the first time, with the participants of the flight "flying with a crosswind for only 3 hours and 20 minutes." Starting in early June, regular flights began from Kharkiv to Kyiv and back, twice a week in each direction, as well as Kharkiv-Odesa. In four months, Ukrvozdukhput carried 760 passengers, 137 kg of mail, and 519 kg of cargo.
In Kharkiv, the construction of an airport also began. A flat site in the Sokolnyky area, next to the city racetrack, was chosen for the runway. Adjacent to the airfield, a hangar, aircraft repair workshops, and an administrative building were built, which later became the Kharkiv Aviation Plant.
During Ukraine's independence, in preparation for Euro 2012, the international airports "Kyiv" named after I. Sikorsky and "Kharkiv" underwent reconstruction and modernization, proudly continuing the glorious traditions of aviators.
The leadership and all participants of AAUCA sincerely congratulate friends, colleagues, partners, and the entire aviation community on the 100th anniversary of civil aviation in Ukraine! We wish you good health, optimism, prosperity, and well-being, as well as the preservation of historical traditions!
We believe in Victory and the restoration of air transportation!
