Nearly exactly two years after getting PNG’ed from Moscow, the spread of the Corona virus has led to the air transport system to buckle and near collapse, as demand for travel diminishes and countries have started to close their borders. Ukraine has been one of the first countries to close their borders, first to Foreigners and now to everyone, and they are banning all international departures and arrivals. This led me to have to rush to get a ticket back, booking an Austrian Airlines ticket on early Sunday afternoon to get home on Monday morning. This reminded me that my life over the last 6 years has been anything but dull.
The tickets back to Kyiv were instantly sold out when it was announced the borders would be closed, as Ukrainians working across Europe seek to get home to buckle down and support family. I managed after checking every 10 minutes for 3 hours to book a seat, which had come available. The elation of being able to get home to be with my family, for what could be a two-week, four-week or who knows maybe a twelve-week lock down. But alas an hour later a text message saying both my London to Vienna and the Vienna to Kyiv flight had been cancelled. Trying to call both Austrian and Lufthansa who the ticket was booked with was impossible, the phone lines kept dropping well before the expected over two hours wait time could be waited out. The only consolation was getting a message that the London to Vienna flight was reinstated. Earlier in the afternoon, the Austrian Government had recommended all Austrian citizens left the UK, due to its laissez faire approach to virus control, which might have had something to do with it.
Then late that night I received a text I had been moved to a special Ukrainian International Airlines flight from Gatwick. A much longer journey to the airport, but I could get home. Having never flown Ukrainian International Airlines and deliberately avoiding it, this was the second time in two weeks, after another long night of flight changes when the KLM plane operating my flight from Bristol at 6am on a Thursday morning had a bird strike at 10pm the night before, which had knock on consequences. The check in line at Gatwick was long and slow, and despite the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighting as travelling on a diplomatic passport, I was still able to travel, the check in agents did not agree. I was lucky another family in the same situation had already started the process of contacting the right people to provide the assurances we were good to travel. So after a letter from the Ukrainian Embassy in London had been faxed to the airline, providing assurances we would be allowed in the country we were good to go.
The flight was somewhat somber; it had a quieter tone than the recent flights I had taken. We all did not know what we were returning to and how long the lock down would last. Plus, many had travelled from across the country and self-connected in London to get the last flight back. Of course, the nuances of Ukrainian International Airlines managed to cheer me up. I am not familiar with another airline which allows you to buy bottles of herbal liquor onboard for the journey. Although, it did not feel like the time for such a drink.
Robin Bell 