Athlon Avia and KAI Open AVIA Lab: 350 m² Facility, Fully Equipped Mechanical Zone, and More Than 120 Aeromodelling Graduates
Recently, the National University “Kyiv Aviation Institute” (KAI), in cooperation with leading Ukrainian UAV manufacturer Athlon Avia, launched the AVIA Lab Aeromodelling Laboratory — a unique space where university and school students can take their first steps in aviation engineering.
AVIA Lab covers 350 m² and includes five dedicated areas: a composites room, mechanical zone, lecture room, assembly room, and classroom for school students.
On the first day of operation, 70 students were working in the space from early morning as part of UAV Engineering Bootcamp 2026, a nine-day hands-on school focused on the design and development of unmanned systems.
Students from different educational institutions — including KAI, Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, KSE University, as well as school students — work on practical assignments using modern manufacturing equipment, including a laser engraving machine, CNC milling machine, and vacuum thermoforming machine. They will also be able to assemble their own UAV models in the dedicated assembly room.
The official opening was attended by Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Oksen Lisovyi, who highlighted the scale and value of initiatives like AVIA Lab:
“What is important for us is that businesses engaged in aviation and defense technology development are investing in universities. When we talk specifically about laboratories focused on aviation career guidance and encouraging young people to pursue engineering, this is the first laboratory of its kind.”
Athlon Avia Co-Founder Artem V’yunnyk emphasized:
“Aeromodelling has played an enormous role in the history of aviation. We know that many of Ukraine’s outstanding aircraft designers started out in aeromodelling clubs. In fact, all of Athlon Avia’s co-founders were also involved in aeromodelling clubs at one point. Now, our aeromodelling laboratory is designed to further strengthen that passion and enthusiasm for aviation. I am very glad that, even before having this dedicated space that we have created today, more than 100 people had already joined our laboratory. I have no doubt that after the laboratory officially opens, there will be many more.”
AVIA Lab began operating in a pilot format in October 2025. Since then, two cohorts have brought together more than 120 students. Serhii Dulenko, Head of AVIA Lab, shared the results achieved during this period:
“The main achievement over this past year is that we have built the core of a community — students and high school students who come here regularly and inspire others to join. It all started with the ‘Zhevzhyk’ — our first cohort, the first glider-building sessions, and our first competitions. Then we moved on to more advanced models and different configurations.
We also had an amazing flight trip organized by Athlon Avia. After that, you could really see the excitement in the students’ eyes. With the students who joined us in October, we have already progressed to radio-controlled models within a year.”
— notes Kseniia Semenova, President of the National University “Kyiv Aviation Institute.”“The next stage of development is to launch scientific research at the laboratory, focusing on aviation and aircraft engineering.”
The official opening was also attended by representatives of the leadership of the National University “Kyiv Aviation Institute”, Athlon Avia, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on Education, Science and Innovation — Serhii Babak and Roman Hryshchuk; Ihor Fedirko, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Defense Industry Council; Yurii Petrushenko of the President of Ukraine’s Fund for Support of Education, Science and Sports; and Artur Bulyhin of the Ukrainian Federation of Technological Sports.
Guests were given a tour of the renovated facility and received a symbolic gift — the simplest aircraft model, “Zhevzhyk,” which is built by all aspiring engineers at the beginning of their journey.
For Athlon Avia, the AVIA Lab aeromodelling laboratory is an investment in developing a generation of specialists who will shape the future of Ukrainian aviation, the defense industry, and the country’s technological independence.
The company’s co-founders began their own careers in aeromodelling, which eventually led to the development of the “Furia” UAS — one of Ukraine’s first reconnaissance unmanned aerial systems, which has been supporting Ukrainian artillery and aerial reconnaissance units in carrying out combat missions more effectively since 2014.
A particularly valuable contribution for the attendees was a speech by Anna Antonova, Professor of Mathematics at KAI and daughter of the renowned aircraft designer Oleg Antonov. She emphasized that the most important thing in aeromodelling is to create something tangible and see the result — even if that result is simply a paper airplane at first. She described the laboratory as an excellent place for bringing such ideas to life.
Those interested can join the next training cohort by submitting an application through the KAI website: AVIA Lab — KAI
Quotes from the opening ceremony participants:
Roman Hryshchuk — Member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on Education, Science and Innovation“As a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Education, Science and Innovation and a member of the KAI Supervisory Board, I am sincerely grateful to every business that invests in higher education — especially in infrastructure projects such as modern laboratories. What Athlon Avia has created for KAI is difficult to call simply a laboratory — it is a fully-fledged educational and practical training facility. Projects like this are extremely important for universities, particularly in an environment of limited funding. This is where students can not only acquire theoretical knowledge but also develop practical skills. We are sincerely grateful to businesses that engage with universities, rather than simply waiting for graduates to emerge fully trained. By contributing to their education together with higher education institutions, businesses help build a modern system for training professionals that meets the needs of both the economy and the state.”
Ihor Fedirko — Executive Director of the Ukrainian Defense Industry Council“The opening of AVIA Lab together with KAI demonstrates that Athlon Avia is becoming an ecosystem-level company and industry player. It is worth noting that many companies that started out around the same time as Athlon Avia have moved abroad. It is encouraging to see Athlon Avia here in Ukraine and to see the company continuing to expand into new areas. Six months ago, Athlon Avia presented an interesting project aimed at collecting and consolidating feedback from the battlefield, analyzing it, integrating it into their products, and, most importantly, sharing the experience further with military units. Today, it is essential to invest in the engineers of the future.”
Yurii Petrushenko — Head of the President of Ukraine’s Fund for Support of Education, Science and Sports“The President of Ukraine’s Fund focuses on supporting the development of the most talented children — Olympiad winners, students who achieve 185 or more points on the NMT, and recipients of the President’s scholarships. We analyzed where these students choose to pursue higher education. Unfortunately, the statistics do not fully align. If we compare the top academic programs with exemplary accreditation or research accreditation with the programs these students actually choose, the correlation is not particularly strong. That is why it is so important for us to see initiatives like this laboratory. In practice, they matter even more — and they are already making an impact today.”
Artur Bulyhin — President of the Ukrainian Federation of Technological Sports“The opening of this laboratory is a powerful signal to our young people. Today, many teenagers leave the country after the 8th–10th grades, and practical initiatives like this help students and schoolchildren discover new opportunities and purpose here in Ukraine. They have the opportunity not simply to learn, but to help shape the future of aviation technology, develop their skills, and build their future at home.”
