Plans to resume flights to Ukraine: which companies expressed interest

Several airlines have expressed interest in resuming flights to Ukraine if security and insurance conditions improve. Crispin Ellison, senior partner at insurance broker Marsh McLennan, previously stated that there are 5-6 airlines that would like to start flying from January 2025. At the same time, he added that this will depend on how the air defense systems and the like will be placed. UNN tells which companies have already declared readiness to resume flights. 

AirBaltic

Latvian airline AirBaltic Plans to transfer resources from other destinations to Ukraine when it becomes safe. AirBaltic CEO Martin Gauss noted that the company is ready to operate Night Flights if safety conditions allow, and is even ready to fly without passengers to test the situation. The resumption of flights to Ukraine will be an important step for the company, as it will also allow for more direct routes south to destinations such as Dubai and Greece.

In addition, Ryanair has promised to deploy 30 aircraft in Ukraine after the end of the war to help restore the country’s aviation industry.

Airline Sky Up Airlines

The company responded to the statement of a risk management specialist, who noted that air traffic can resume until February 2025. The company’s press service stressed that to launch flights, it is necessary to provide safety guarantees, insurance and a clear understanding of who will be responsible.

“Security is an absolute priority. Therefore, until there is a safe sky, there will be no flights,” the press service noted.

Ryanair

Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O’leary said back in 2023 that the Irish low-cost airline Ryanair considered resuming a small number of flights to Ukraine if agreements were reached on partial opening of the airspace.

“We work in Israel and beyond. We are flying to Tel Aviv airport. From time to time, explosions are heard from the West Bank, and Hamas launches rockets. So, anything is possible. But we need to convince European safety authorities that flights will be safe,” O’leary said in 2023.

Airline Supernova Airlines

Supernova Airlines, a subsidiary of NOVA Group (owner of Nova poshta), has been granted permission to operate regular international flights from Kiev and Lviv from November 1. The relevant information was sent to the Ministry of foreign affairs of Ukraine for registration of appointments.

Currently, statements from airlines regarding the resumption of flights have not been voiced in the public space.

Restrictions on the opening of airspace

Deputy Minister of community and Territory Development Timur Tkachenko notedthat although state bodies are considering the possibility of partial opening of Ukrainian airspace , this is currently unlikely in the short term. Special attention is paid to the possible resumption of operation of airports in Boryspil and Lviv, which are key for passenger transportation. Tkachenko also stressed that comparing the situation of Ukraine with Israel, where the software system works effectively, is not entirely correct, since Ukraine has not yet reached the necessary level of Defense. Therefore, in his opinion, it is too early to talk about the partial opening of the airspace.

Previously

The Ministry of development of communities and territories said that Ukraine presented a roadmap for opening of airspace under martial law, presenting a step-by-step plan and needs for partial opening of airspace.