The airline was established in July 1997 and started operations in January 1998 using decommissioned aircraft of the Ukrainian air force. Since 1998 UCA have been used to fulfil UN programmes in Yugoslavia and Africa to deliver relief cargo, transport peacekeeping troops and evacuate refugees. It is 100% owned by the State Property Fund of Ukraine. The airline was shut down by the Ukrainian civil aviation authority over safety concerns in 2009. The carrier had also been blacklisted by the European Union.
Banned Status
Ukrainian Cargo Airways had appeared on the list of prohibited E.U. air carriers which means that it was banned for safety reasons from operating services of any kind within the E.U. In November 2009 the European Commission removed Ukrainian Cargo Airways from this list.
Fleet
The Ukrainian Cargo Airways fleet consisted of the following aircraft :
On 8 May 2003, a chartered Ukrainian Cargo Airways Ilyushin Il-76 was en route to Lubumbashi while transporting hundreds of soldiers and their families when the cargo door suddenly flung open in mid air, sucking out hundreds of people to their deaths. Survivors had to cling to ropes and netting on the plane. The plane managed to return to Kinshasha with ±40 survivors. Officials confirmed the deaths of 7 people on board, however survivors claimed that as high as 200 people may have been killed.
On 4 October 2007, a Canadian Forces chartered Ukrainian Cargo Airways Ilyushin Il-76 flying from Keflavik International Airport, Iceland struck some trees while on approach to CFB Trenton. The aircraft managed to land safely, but initially, the incident was not reported by the flight crew until base officials noticed wood debris on the runway and went to inspect the aircraft. The inspection revealed marks on the belly of the aircraft from the impact, minor damage to the main landing gear.
In the Media
A Ukrainian Cargo Airways Ilyushin Il-76 was seen in the third series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, being used to smuggle drugs inside Lada cars.
