SkyUp Airlines (PQ, Kyiv Boryspil) has taken delivery of its maiden aircraft in the form of B737-800 UR-SQA (msn 40150) which was ferried from storage at Marana via Québec and Reykjavik Keflavik to Istanbul Sabiha Gökcen on April 4-5, Skyliner Aviation has reported.

The Boeing unit, an ex-Malaysia Airlines aircraft, is owned by BCC Equipment Leasing.

SkyUp, a privately-owned Ukrainian LCC, eyes launch in April 2018. The carrier is planning to operate a fleet of three B737NGs in 2018 (two B737-800s and one B737-700), growing to six in 2019, eight in 2020, ten in 2021 and twelve in 2022. In March, SkyUp placed an order for five B737 MAXes, including two B737-8s and three B737-10s, with options for a further five units and deliveries scheduled to commence in 2022.

The carrier's international flights will initially focus on leisure destinations in Italy, Spain, Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Cyprus and will be operated on behalf of the company's parent, tour operator JoinUp!. In addition, the airline plans to establish a network of domestic flights. Its main bases will be Kyiv Boryspil, Kyiv Igor Sikorsky, Kharkiv, Lviv, and Odesa. Eventually, the carrier also plans to develop a European network of low-cost flights.

As of April 9, SkyUp has not yet received its Air Operator's Certificate (AOC).