Roman
Mileshko

Roman Mileshko – Ukrainian businessman, philanthropist, and third-generation military aviator. The founder of the "Future Aeronauts of Ukraine" children’s charitable institution. The owner and co-owner of several aviation industry companies, recognized as critically important to the economy of Ukraine. As a military man, Roman participated in UN peacekeeping and humanitarian operations through his service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine in various officer positions over a span of 10 years.

Date of Birth: 19.07.1976

Roman graduated from Kharkiv Institute of Pilots of the Air Force of Ukraine (1993–1997), majoring in Aviation and Cosmonautics. In 2004 his postgraduate studies took him to the US Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California (USA), where he specialized in International Security Resources Management and received an MBA.

During his 10 years of service with Ukrainian Naval Aviation, he progressed from the pilot-navigator of the Mi-8 helicopter to the deputy chief of the Naval Aviation Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

● 2002–2003 – Service in the Ukrainian military helicopter unit supporting the UN Mission in Sierra Leone.

● 2006 – 2007 — Deputy Chief of the Naval Aviation Department – Chief of Flight Safety of the Navy Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Sevastopol).

● 2006 — 2007 – Prepared the flagship of the Ukrainian Navy, the frigate "Hetman Sahaidachnyi" for participation in the NATO "Active Efforts" anti-terrorist operation in the Mediterranean Sea. During this operation, he established cooperation between the command of the Ukrainian Navy in Sevastopol and the respective US and NATO aviation commands.

● 2006–2007 – Ukrainian national representative in the Helicopter Operations from Ships other Than Aircraft Carriers Working Group (HOSTAC WG) – an official body of the NATO Standardization Agency.

● 2007-2015 – Worked as a consultant and commercial intermediary in several foreign companies specializing in air transportation in the Middle East, Africa and the USA.

● 2007-2008 – Project manager for BURUNDAIAVIA JSC (Almaty, Kazakhstan) supporting rotary wing programs for the UN and African Union Mission in Darfur (Sudan).

● 2008–2009 – Regional manager for helicopter operations in Africa and Afghanistan for BURUNDAIAVIA JSC.

● 2009–2015 – Independent international consultant on commercial aircraft operations in remote areas with adverse and dangerous conditions.

In 2015, Roman Mileshko co-founded Expedition Aviation FZC, a company registered in the UAE, which specializes in turnkey aviation project management of international peacekeeping and humanitarian missions. Expedition Aviation provides aviation support for disaster relief operations and humanitarian programs under the auspices of international organizations and governments in remote areas with adverse and dangerous conditions.

In 2018, he became co-owner of Aircompany Constanta PrJSC, a world leader in regional air transportation, providing aviation services for peacekeeping and humanitarian missions in difficult operational and environmental conditions. The company operates in the Middle East and Africa. Aircompany Constanta is among the top ten airlines in the world capable of providing services of such complexity. The company is an approved air carrier for international governments, the United Nations, and the World Food Program. Constanta is the world's largest operator of Antonov aircraft.

In 2018, Roman started a comprehensive investment program to modernize the company's fleet and technical facilities in Zaporizhzhia, and also reoriented the company's activities to more promising markets in Africa (Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan) and Turkey. The main focus is the provision of of cargo and passenger transport services as well as air medical evacuation in remote areas with adverse security and climatic conditions.

Under the Roman’s lead, Aircompany Constanta fleet was modernized from outdated Soviet Yak-40 to Ukrainian-made Antonov State Enterprise aircraft; in particular An-26, An-26-100 and An-74TK-100. To complement the fleet modernization efforts, Roman recruited seasoned professionalssand aviation industry experts to the Aircompany Constanta team.

In his October 2023 interview with «Forbes» , Roman commented on the acquisition of the company as follows:

"In 2018, the company AP Holdings Limited sold me 49% of the shares of Aircompany Constanta PrJSC." 2% of the company's shares were also purchased by Ukrainian businessman Mykhailo Moiseyenko. Due to AP Holdings Limited's non-payment of debt obligations to Expedition Aviation FZC in 2020, I have gone to court. In 2021, as a result of a legal dispute between me and AP Holdings Limited, a settlement agreement was concluded in the Commercial Court of the City of Dubai (UAE), according to which AP Holdings Limited transferred 49% of the shares of Constanta Airlines PJSC to me. In 2022, the London Commercial Arbitration Court, after two years of litigation under English law, also ruled in the case of Expedition Aviation FZC's claim against AP Holdings Limited, according to which AP Holdings Limited was recognized as a debtor to Expedition Aviation FZC in the amount of more than $850,000».

H3 Operations LLC is one of the largest helicopter carriers in Ukraine, operating Mi-8 MTV / MI-17 Type helicopters in accordance with FAA Category 1 and EASA procedures. The company specializes in Hot, High, and Heavy airlift transportation, primarily for the international special missions’ markets. H3Operations employs MI-8/17 crew members which have operated thousands of hours in difficult or hostile locations supporting a variety of missions, including national security, MEDEVAC, NVG operations, firefighting, and other critical and contingency missions. The company took part in fire-fighting in Turkey (2021) and Greece (2022), as well as natural disaster relief operation in Madagascar (2023). As part of cooperation with the UN World Food Program, the company delivered food to remote regions of Burkina Faso and the Central African Republic (2022).

XENA LLC is a leading provider of special mission services with the equipment, personnel, and experience to rapidly provide air transportation services such as firefighting, search and rescue, medical evacuation, and paradropping operations anywhere in the world. Xena employs flight crews with extensive experience in special operations and aerial firefighting and operates in accordance with FAA Category 1 and EASA Procedures. Xena operates two An-32P Firekiller aircraft and three An-2 single engine biplanes. XENA has been performing firefighting operations in Turkey since 2021.

MS AVIA-GRADE LLC provides professional integration and retrofitting of certified original equipment manufacturer (OEM) equipment onto government and commercial aircraft and helicopters. Its focus is the overhaul of avionics, engines, and structural components, with the ability to design and manufacture new equipment, parts, and technologies to PART 21J/145B requirements. Aviagrade employs a team of engineers and specialist experienced with navigating the certification process, providing a one stop-shop for the development, manufacture, installation, and integration of new technology and enhancements on airframes and aviation equipment.

In 2009, a ban on flights of Antonov aircraft in the airspace of Kenya was introduced. Kenya’s Civil Aviation Authorities attributed the ban to the crew's low level of English, as well as the lack of proper certification issued by the European Union or the United States.

In 2019, Aircompany Constanta, in cooperation with the Embassy of Ukraine in Kenya, worked with the Kenyan government to lift the ban on the use of Ukrainian aircraft. Permits to fly in the EU, Great Britain and the United States, as well as registration as a service provider for international organizations held by Aircompany Constanta, helped to convince the aviation authorities of Kenya to lift the ban and put in place a special procedure to allow any company to obtain operating permits for Antonov aircraft. Eventually, Aircompany Constanta was able to startup operations in the country.

"Future Aeronauts of Ukraine" is a unique project, founded in the city of Zaporizhzhia, aimed at educating future aviators and aircraft builders. The project was initiated by Roman and the management of the Zaporizhia City Palace of Children's and Youth Creativity, where children's study groups on aircraft modeling (2020) and robotics (2021) were created. The initiative is implemented within the social responsibility program of Aircompany Constanta.

Among the most important projects of the aircraft modeling study group is the creation of aircraft models allowing students to master the basics of aircraft design, modeling, piloting. Oleksiy Golubkov became the first leader of the study group. The public union "Economic Development Strategy" in cooperation with scientists of the "Zaporizhia Polytechnic" National University are also partners on the project.

During classes, kids acquire knowledge about the technology of manufacturing various aircraft types and gain experience in designing and constructing their own aircraft. Students also learn flight skills in the training game "Air Battle". Additionally, young aviators learn to pilot model airplanes in computer simulators (and eventually, flight simulators).

The robotics study group brings together creative young people who are interested in advanced technologies, 3D design, electronics, programming microcontrollers, and also helps students gain professional skills for future professions.

Married with two children.