Ukraine actively working to resume flights from Kiev and Lvov

MOSCOW. Jan 19 (Interfax) - Ukraine is making significant efforts to resume air traffic from Kiev and Lvov, Ukrainian media cited Ukrainian President's Office Deputy Head Rostislav Shurma as saying at a panel discussion at the Ukraine House in Davos on Thursday.

"We are working intensively on resuming air travel in Ukraine [...] We will definitely do everything possible to make it happen," Shurma said,

Reliable logistics and transport options, especially air links, are fundamentally important elements of a country's business and investment activity, he said.

"If investors and businesspeople can't get to the places they need quickly and comfortably, they won't come at all and won't do anything," he said.

When asked whether the Ukrainian authorities are indeed considering reopening the airports in Kiev (Borispol International Airport) and Lvov, Shurma said that both airports are under consideration, but the focus is on Borispol.

As for the possibility of resuming flights in the summer, Shurma said he was not ready to provide a specific timeframe.

"Look, we have an internal roadmap and a schedule. You're right, but I don't want to provide any specific deadlines [...] If only it was up to us, perhaps I would be ready to make a public commitment, but I think that the share of our internal effort here is 20% at most," Shurma said.

The possibility of resuming flights in Ukraine depends on the decisions of its international partners, independent regulators and insurance companies, he said. Besides, the success of this decision will also hinge on Ukraine's ability to ensure the physical safety of flights.

Receiving approval from the IATA European regulator and seeking reliable insurance mechanisms so that lessors can provide aircraft without any concerns is equally important, he said.

Ireland's Ryanair low-cost carrier said in mid-2023 that it was considering the possibility of resuming a small number of flights to Ukraine if Ukraine succeeds in talks on partially reopening its airspace.

Ukraine's SkyUp Airlines also said it will be among the first air carriers to resume flights from Ukraine as soon as it is permitted.