Page 55 - UKRRptJan21

9.1.2 ​Automotive sector news
9.1.3​ Transport sector news
Despite Ukraine’s recession, sales of new cars in Ukraine fell by only 3% y/y, to 85,500 in 2020​, reports Ukrautoprom, the car industry association. In December was the year’s record month, with Ukrainians buying 9,801 cars. With Ukraine’s lowered import taxes and the EU’s gradual phase out of diesel cars, first time registrations of used imports are about four times registrations of new cars. In 2020, Ukrainians registered about 350,000 imported used cars.
● Planes
Ukraine’s air passenger traffic should return in 2021 to 50% the level of 2019​, Infrastructure Minister Vladyslav Krikliy predicted yesterday at a press conference in Kyiv. This year, he said, air passenger traffic is only 28% the level of 2019.
To revive aircraft production at Antonov, Ukreximbank is loaning $105mn to the state aircraft manufacturer to build three An-178 cargo jets for Ukraine’s Army, ​Yevhen Metzger, chairman of the state bank, writes on Facebook. Airplane delivery is planned for 2023. Concurrently, Antonov is building an An-178 for Peru’s National Police and is negotiating the sale of a second plane. Airplane building at Kyiv’s Antonov largely stopped in 2014 as the company worked to make or source parts to replace parts from Russia. Company officials say this substitution process is largely complete.
For the first time since Independence, Ukraine’s defence Ministry is about to order new planes from Antonov,​ Strategic Industries Minister Oleh Urusky tells Radio Svoboda. “A contract will be signed between the Ministry of
55​ UKRAINE Country Report​ January 2021 ​ ​www.intellinews.com