Ireland’s Ryanair, Europe’s largest budget airline, announced a commitment to resume flights to/from Ukraine at low fares within 8 weeks of the opening of Ukrainian airspace and plans to deploy up to 30 new Boeing 737 MAXs to Kiev, Lviv and Odessa at a cost of over $3 billion.
“Ryanair was Ukraine’s second largest airline until Russia’s illegal invasion in February 2022. As soon as the skies over Ukraine are reopened to commercial aviation, Ryanair will return to Ukraine, connecting Ukraine’s main airports to more than 20 EU capitals,” a Ryanair press release quoted the airline’s chief executive Michael O’Leary as saying following his visit to Kiev on Thursday.
It is indicated that after the end of hostilities and as soon as the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) announces the safety of flights from/to Ukraine, the airline is ready to operate up to 600 flights per week. In addition, Ryanair plans to open daily flights between Kiev, Lviv and Odessa as soon as the airports are ready.
Executive Director of Ryanair reminded that before the war, the airline served airports in Kharkiv and Kherson and intends to return to them as soon as their infrastructure is restored after the end of hostilities.
It is noted that the airline plans to reach more than 5 million passenger seats on its flights from/to Ukraine in the first 12 months of operation and intends to grow that number to 10 million seats within five years.
“The fastest way to reshape and rebuild the Ukrainian economy is through low-cost air travel. Ryanair intends to invest heavily in Ukraine, leading the aviation recovery. In particular, (the airline) will invest up to $3 billion by deploying up to 30 new Boeing MAX airplanes at Ukraine’s three main airports in Kiev, Lviv and Odessa,” said O’Leary.
Ryanair also recalled that it has employed hundreds of Ukrainian pilots, cabin crew and IT specialists and is ready to create thousands of new jobs for Ukrainians in aviation immediately after the end of the war.
“Ukraine is a country of 40 million people, many of whom have been scattered across Europe as a result of Russia’s illegal invasion. We look forward to reuniting these families, with Ryanair’s affordable fares, as soon as it is safe to do so. Ryanair’s low fares will be critical to Ukraine’s economic recovery,” O’Leary said.
During his visit to Kiev on Thursday, he met with Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov, as well as representatives of airports in Kiev, Lviv and Odessa.
Kubrakov emphasized that maintaining the performance of aviation infrastructure and the professional qualifications of personnel remains a vital task in war conditions.
“Meanwhile, the resumption of flights will be possible as soon as the security situation allows. However, we are already working on solutions and investment plans that will allow us to get airplanes in the air quickly,” he said, expressing gratitude for specific proposals and solutions from Ryanair, “Ukraine’s faithful partner.”
Boryspil Airport CEO Oleksiy Dubrevskiy, who was recently approved by the government in this position, added that the visit of Ryanair’s top management to Boryspil Airport is a strong signal that Europe’s largest airline sees huge potential in the Ukrainian air transportation market.
“I firmly believe that Boryspil airport will remain the main air gateway for our citizens to return to Ukraine and will continue to play a leading role in the recovery of the Ukrainian economy,” Dubrevskyy said.
Three weeks before the full-scale invasion, O’Leary announced plans for a major expansion into Ukraine “if Russia does not attack” ahead of the Open Skies agreement with the EU coming into force. It was about the deployment of 15-20 airplanes in the country in five airports of the country.
In addition, Ryanair had time to announce 13 new routes from Ukraine in the summer schedule of 2022, under which the airline planned to fly from Ukraine on a total of 90 routes.
As reported, Ukraine completely closed its airspace to civilian aircraft on February 24, 2022.
In April this year, O’Leary said Ryanair was ready to quickly resume operations in Ukraine when it was safe to fly again, having opened 30 routes and built several bases in a year. “We could be flying there (to Ukraine) in about two weeks. We are actively looking for ways and looking for where we can get back to Ukraine,” O’Leary said at the time. He specified that the company employs about 60 Ukrainian pilots and about 80 crew members, who are mostly stationed at Ryanair bases in Poland waiting for the market to open.
Ukrzaliznytsia has reported that four international flights were delayed by more than two and a half hours due to the accumulation of trains on the Polish border.
In particular, with the delay arrived: 715/716 Peremyshl – Kyiv (+7:13), 31/32 Peremyshl – Zaporizhzhia (+3:58), 705/706 Kyiv – Peremyshl (+2:37) and 89/90 Peremyshl – Kyiv (+2:30).
In addition, due to lack of voltage in the overhead system as a result of shelling on the Marganets – Nikopol section, UZ has changed the route of three trains: №62 Odessa – Kharkiv, №120 Lviv – Zaporizhzhya, and №276 Kiev – Zaporizhzhya-1. They will pass from station Krivoy Rog Main through Verkhovtsevo, Dnepr Main, Sinelnikovo-2, Sinelnikovo-1, Zaporizhzhia-1, Sinelnikovo-1 without going to stations Apostolovo, Nikopol, Chortomlyk, Marganets, Dneprobut-2.
Train No. 62 Odessa – Kharkiv will further pass through Pavlograd-1 and Lozovaya, bypassing Novomoskovsk Dneprovsky.
The world’s largest European budget carrier Ryanair has canceled all flights to and from Ukraine, in particular, from the airports of Kyiv, Lviv and Odesa, for an unlimited period, this follows from the information in its booking system.
According to one of the correspondents of Interfax-Ukraine, the company, in particular, sent him messages about the cancellation of an already paid flight for August 29, 2022.
The day after Russia launched a war against Ukraine on February 24 and closed the country’s airspace, Ryanair announced that it had suspended and withdrawn from sale flights to/from Ukraine until the end of March, pending further information from EU security authorities.
As of the morning of March 2, flights to and from Ukraine were still in the booking system for dates after March 27.
Earlier in February, before the start of the war, Ryanair removed all flights to Kharkiv and Kherson from sale.
Ryanair’s main competitor among low-cost carriers in Ukraine, Wizz Air, is still selling tickets to and from the country for the period after March 27.
The Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air has canceled all flights to Ukraine until March 27, the relevant information is contained in the airline’s booking system. According to it, the first flights available for sale to the company’s destinations from/to Ukraine are on Sunday, March 27.
Ticket holders before this date received an offer from the company to exchange them for flights with a later date, return the money or put them on an annual deposit for the purchase of tickets in the future with a 20% surcharge.
As reported, Wizz Air has suspended flights to Ukraine since February 24, when a full-scale Russian invasion of the country began. In addition, until March 4, the airline also refrains from flights to the capital of Moldova, Chisinau, instead performing them to the Romanian airport Iasi.
Wizz Air also said that it is working on the evacuation of its aircraft and employees with families from Ukraine.
According to Interfax-Ukraine, about three aircraft of the company remained at the Kyiv airport, which did not have time to take off from Kyiv on the morning of February 24.
Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) will continue operating flights according to the existing schedule, the company’s press service reported on February 14. “Ukraine International Airlines will continue to operate flights according to the existing schedule, operating 16 medium-haul aircraft without any changes in the schedule. In particular, today’s evening flights and tomorrow’s morning flights are operated without changes,” the company said in a statement.
UIA said the preservation of operational work was made possible by a constructive dialogue between UIA’s business partners, as well as cooperation with the Government of Ukraine.
“Currently, tickets for flights of UIA and partners are on sale on the official website of the airline. The airline will continue to regularly report any possible changes in its operations,” the airline said.
Ukraine has no plans to close its airspace to civil aviation, as there are no grounds for this, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) Oleksiy Danilov has said.
“We do not close our airspace, and we are not going to close today, and there are no grounds for this. As for some companies that lease aircraft and reinsure themselves. First of all, it is connected with the Netherlands. You remember when Russia shot down MH17 in Donetsk region. They are reinsured today. I emphasize once again: we do not see this, we will not close it,” Danilov told reporters after a meeting with representatives of the Verkhovna Rada on Monday.
