Ukraine's largest airport, Boryspil, which handled 9 million passengers in 2021, was closed as a result of the full-scale war. However, the airport's CEO now says they are ready to resume flights. Find out when to expect new flights from Boryspil

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Boryspil Airport is already on its way to recovery and is preparing to start operating in the post-war period. 

During the full-scale invasion, the airport decided to block the runways, disable navigation systems, evacuate fuel and transfer aircraft. However, the state-owned airport has retained most of its employees and is negotiating with airlines for further cooperation. 

Find out when Boryspil will resume operations.

When will the airport resume operations?

According to Oleksii Dubrevskyi, the airport's CEO, Boryspil is preparing to resume operations in the post-war period. The airport will be able to receive and depart flights a month after the end of the war. 

"We do not want to spend a year or two thinking: "What are we going to do after the war?". We are taking the necessary measures to resume flights as soon as possible," he said.

The state-owned enterprise retained most of its staff, paying them 2/3 of their salaries to avoid losing qualified personnel. 

This strategy was costly for the airport - approximately EUR 3.2 million per month, plus an additional EUR 1.8 million to restore the damaged infrastructure. 

The airport spent the financial reserves accumulated in 2021 to ensure the maintenance of staff and infrastructure during the war.

Prospects for further development of Boryspil Airport

In order to obtain financial support and backing from the EU and international banking institutions, Oleksiy Dubrevsky visited Brussels last month. 

The airport understands the need for modernization, especially given global aviation trends toward decarbonization. He estimates the cost of modernizing Boryspil at around €420 million.

After the war, Ukraine expects a significant increase in flights and passenger and cargo volume. According to the UN, about three-quarters of the 8 million displaced Ukrainians have expressed a desire to return home as soon as the war is over. 

"We assume that after the war, many people from abroad will come to Ukraine to see our heroes with their own eyes and shake hands with them, as well as to see the country of heroes who courageously defended our European values," said the airport director.

Serhiy Khyzhnyak, the airport's commercial director, draws an analogy between the situation in Ukraine and the accession of Central and Eastern European countries to the European Union. 

"I think this case resembles Poland in 2004, when it joined the EU and many Poles tried to work in the EU. With 8 million Ukrainians living abroad, it's almost like traveling back and forth," he said. 

"We see a lot of opportunities and space for business development in Ukraine after the war."

As you know, even before the outbreak of full-scale war, Wizz Air and Ryanair announced ambitious plans to expand their operations in Ukraine. In October 2021, an aviation agreement was signed between the European Union and Ukraine, opening up new opportunities to increase the number of flights in the country.

The return of Ukrainians from abroad is also creating a new market niche for airlines, especially low-cost airlines, which have already announced their intention to expand their operations in Ukraine after the war.

Ukrainian carriers are working together with the airport to identify new routes that will connect Kyiv with European countries where there are large numbers of Ukrainian refugees. 

For example, with Poland and Germany, which have hosted more than 1 million Ukrainians, as well as with Romania, Italy, France, Spain, and Austria, where more than 100,000 refugees have found shelter.

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The fate of other airports after the war

Despite all the difficulties that accompany the restoration of the aviation sector, Boryspil Airport is preparing for takeoff and hopes for a bright future after the war in Ukraine ends.

It is important to note that not all airports in Ukraine are ready to resume operations after the war. Only three of the country's 13 airports - Kyiv, Lviv, and Odesa - are in good condition. The other airports, including Kherson, Mariupol, and Dnipro, will take much longer to reopen and become operational.

The recovery of the aviation sector is expected to be one of the key areas of Ukraine's post-war recovery. It could also lead to increased tourism demand, as many people from the international community have expressed a desire to visit and support Ukraine after the war.

We remind you! Earlier we wrote that Ukrainian airline SkyUp Airlines has taken an important step in its development by obtaining a license to fly to the United States of America. Find out which aircraft the license is valid for and how it will affect the Ukrainian company in the global aviation space.

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