Ukraine’s newest airline has successfully completed its first commercial flight using its new Boeing 737. The aircraft carried its first load of cargo from Budapest, Hungary, to the Moldovian capital of Chisinau, as the airspace over Ukraine is still closed to civilian traffic.
The beginning of an era
The airline recently received a commercial permit to fly within the EU with its new Boeing 737-800. The first payload belonged to Nova Global, another company in the NOVA group (which also includes carrier service Nova Posta). The plane carried nearly 20 tons of purchases by Moldovan customers from the global marketplace Temu. Previously, shipments along this route have been transported by road.
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The airline received its AOC in January and is beginning its services to nearby airports while waiting for Ukrainian airspace to reopen.
According to data from Flightradar24, the Boeing 737-800 freighter departed Budapest Airport (BUD) at 01:43 and landed in Moldova’s Chisinau International AIrport (RMO) at 03:55 on Sunday, November 10th. Viacheslav Klymov, Cofounder of the NOVA group, shared on LinkedIn just how significant this moment is:
“I’m incredibly proud to see our aircraft flying over Europe—under the Ukrainian flag, with Ukrainian call signs, and crewed by Ukrainian pilots. This moment is especially meaningful for our pilots, as it allows them to keep flying and maintain their skills at the highest level.
“This flight is a milestone for two reasons. First, it concludes a lengthy preparation period, allowing SuperNova to operate with its own aircraft. With all necessary permits and certifications in hand, we’re now ready to implement the strategy that SuperNova was founded to pursue—delayed by the war and the closed skies over Ukraine.
“Second, this flight allowed us to refine the full charter flight process and optimize collaboration between our teams, the client, and the contractor. This is especially valuable as Nova Global will be a key client of SuperNova Airlines for cargo deliveries to and from the United States.
The aircraft has since completed the return leg to Budapest and flew from Hungary to Moldova yesterday before continuing to Prague (PRG).
International ambitions abound
The Nova Posta group has been reliably delivering mail throughout the conflict and has been vital in transporting supplies across the country. It took two years to complete the registration of the new Ukrainian airline, which has since been operating using wet-leased ATR Aircraft.
The airline’s new Boeing 737-800SF first flew in 2007 with Air Berlin and later Royal Flight before undergoing a cargo conversion earlier this year. The aircraft has now been given a Ukrainian registration number and flies the Ukrainian flag on its wingtips thanks to Teague (which designed the livery and painted the aircraft free of charge for NOVA as a sign of support for Ukraine).
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Long-haul cargo flights to the US and China are on the agenda.
The aircraft will be used to fly charters for third-party companies. The airline ultimately plans to acquire a fleet of Boeing 767 or Airbus A330 aircraft for long-haul destinations, including the United States. For Klymov, the struggle to obtain a commercial permit to fly within the EU has been worth it:
“We have come a long way: from finding lessors who do not want to cooperate with a company in a country at war to certifying commercial flights under the conditions of closed Ukrainian skies, when flights in Ukraine are impossible.
“The next step is to obtain the same permit from the United States, as Supernova Airlines is strategically focused on delivering cargo between America and Europe, as well as between Europe and China.
“Looking back at the way we have come, I think that we have made a miracle. I am proud of the teams that made it possible.”
Photo: SuperNova
The airline will start regular commercial operation with the aircraft this winter season, 2024-2025. Once airspace is reopened, the airline plans to carry cargo from Lviv and Kyiv to Prague.
