"I'm doing a lot of walking," he said, adding that his apartment is a pleasant stroll from the airline's office near Bessarabska Market. "I really enjoy the churches at Mykhaylivsky and Sophiyivsky squares, and Khreshchatyk Street on weekends."
Last month, Fenech sold his home near Delta's headquarters in Georgia, clearing the way for his wife, Debbie, to permanently join him in Kyiv.
"Debbie's made a few short trips to Kyiv so far, and is looking forward to living here. It's going to be an exciting time for both of us."
Fenech described his life in the city as being fairly Spartan, since most of his personal belongings are still in transit from the United States. He said that to prepare for his wife's arrival, he began venturing out of the city center to explore the rest of the city.
"I really enjoy the Podil district," he said, "and I'm getting accustomed to using Metro, the subway.
I will probably be here for at least two years, so I want to know my way around."
Part of knowing how to navigate the city means learning Russian "and a little Ukrainian, too," he added.
"Kyiv has surprised me," Fenech said. "People are much nicer than I expected, and the city is more Western-oriented than I thought it would be. The commercial environment was a surprise - a good one - too. Ukraine has crushed any misconceptions I may have had."
"Still, the language barrier can be a challenge."
Though the airline has only recently stared nonstop service - the first U.S. airline to do so since Ukraine's independence - Delta is no stranger in Kyiv.
"Delta Air Lines has had a general sales agency in Ukraine since 1997, but decided to enlarge its presence in Kyiv in anticipation of adding Kyiv to its route system,"
Fenech said. "We have been flying the Kyiv - New York route for five days per week since June 2."
With service to 295 destinations in 46 countries, Kyiv was a natural opportunity for expansion, he said.
"During the past year, Delta added more than 50 new international routes, making it America's fastest-growing international airline. It's also the world's leading carrier between the United States and Europe, with flights to 29 trans-Atlantic destinations," he added.
Fenech said that the New York-Kyiv route makes sense because Ukraine continues to demonstrate strong economic growth and is emerging as a market-driven economy with a strong future in Europe.
"New York is one of Delta's leading gateways to the U.S., and Kyiv is the capital and commercial center of Ukraine. It's natural that the two should be linked," he said. "As Ukraine's economy takes off, trade with the U.S. will grow. Plus, Ukrainians are traveling more than ever, so Delta believes that the market has grown large enough to sustain long-term demand for service."
Over the past 100 days, Fenech says that business has been generally good, though there have been the occasional problems usually involved with setting up any new business.
"We have had really good response from the public," Fenech said. "We're flying a Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, which carry 204 passengers, and business has been very good."
If the first 100 days have been good, Fenech says the next 100 may be more telling.
"Filling planes during the summer travel months is one thing," he said, "but the fall and winter months, when travel traditionally drops off, will be more interesting."
He attributed competitive fares and amenities like leather seats to helping fill economy class seats, and the airline's 'refreshed' business class, called BusinessElite, to attracting business travelers.
"Trans-Atlantic business passengers are demanding, and Delta listened to them when we redesigned business class service," he said. "We now offer a personalized five-course dining experience catered to each customer's preference and palate, as well as an original, award-winning wine program. Delta has also improved its sleeper seat, giving Business class passengers 60 inches of legroom and a wide-angle recline, with additional cushioning, new leather coverings, better headrests and in-seat laptop power outlets."
"Delta has completely redesigned the international travel experience - from more comfortable seats to industry-leading in-flight entertainment with movies, music and more," Fenech said.
Fenech, a certified public accountant and 20-year airline industry veteran joined Delta Air Lines in 1991, working with the airline's internal accounting office in Frankfurt, Germany. After about two years in Germany, he moved to Delta's general office in Atlanta, Georgia, where he held sales and marketing positions for 12 years before being selected to represent the airline in Ukraine. He is responsible for overseeing Delta's operations in Ukraine, with a primary focus on marketing the airline and its new service. He will also coordinate government and media relations for Delta in Ukraine.
Fenech is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.
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