Ukraine is actively preparing to reopen its airspace to commercial flights for the first time since 2022.
Ukraine Hopes To Re-Open Commercial Airspace To Travel
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine’s airspace has remained closed to civilian traffic due to obvious safety concerns. But now, Ukrainian officials have formed a dedicated working group to prepare for the restart of civil aviation, focusing on infrastructure protection and operational planning.
There is growing optimism that at least one airport, likely Lviv (though Kyiv Boryspil has not been ruled out) could reopen first, potentially on a limited basis. Officials say the country’s aviation infrastructure is “largely prepared” to resume flights, though with continued Russian drone and missile attacks, I’m not sure so certain.
Airlines are watching closely. European carriers including Ryanair, Wizz Air, and others have already expressed interest in returning as soon as airspace reopens and I suspect the demand is there to resume service, even though operations would be an elevated risk.
But any reopening will be cautious and phased. Safety remains the overriding concern, and even optimistic timelines suggest it could take months from a political decision to actually restart flights. This is not the first time that reopening Ukrainian airspace to commercial traffic has been floated. In the past, similar working groups have eventually ruled it out, citing safety concerns. This time may be no different.
A Personal Note: A Return I’d Welcome
I visited Ukraine in 2023 and documented the journey in my trip report, traveling by train from Warsaw into Kyiv and by bus back to Warsaw. It was a long but memorable journey, one that underscored both the resilience of the Ukrainian people and the logistical reality of reaching the country during wartime.
That train ride was meaningful, but it was also a reminder of how disconnected Ukraine has been from the rest of the world. A return of commercial flights would not just be symbolic…it would be transformative. It would reconnect Ukraine to Europe and beyond in a way that rail and bus travel simply cannot match.
And on a personal level, I would very much like to return.
Ukraine left a deep impression on me: the warmth of the people, the resilience of life in Kyiv, and the sobering reality of a country at war yet continuing to function. If flights resume, I won’t hesitate to go back. Even if flights do not resume, I’d love to go back…the key is finding the time.
What About Ukraine International Airlines?
Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) was once the country’s flag carrier, but its future looks bleak.
Long before the war, UIA was plagued by allegations of corruption, opaque ownership structures, and financial instability. The prolonged closure of Ukrainian airspace has only deepened those problems, pushing the airline into insolvency proceedings and leaving its fleet grounded and its future uncertain.
Even if Ukraine reopens its skies, it is far from clear that UIA will return even on a small scale.
Instead, President Volodymyr Zelensky has floated the idea of creating a new national carrier, tentatively called Ukraine National Airlines. But like many state-backed airline concepts, that vision faces enormous hurdles, from funding to execution. In the meantime, low-cost carrier SkyUp Airlines has effectively become Ukraine’s de facto flag carrier, continuing to operate flights abroad and maintaining a visible presence in neighboring Moldova and Poland even as the country’s airspace remains closed.
If and when flights resume, don’t assume UIA will be leading the charge. I fondly recall my 767 flight from Kyiv to New York in business class many years ago…which will likely be my last trip on UIA.
CONCLUSION
Ukraine is not reopening tomorrow, and serious risks remain. But planning is once again underway and the prospects of airspace reopening, even as the war drags on, are growing.
When flights finally resume, whether from Lviv, Kyiv, or elsewhere, it will be a powerful signal that Ukraine is reconnecting with the world. Hopefully it will also signal and end to the war…
Are you ready to return to Ukraine?
Wow! If so, that’s excellent. Ukrainians deserve peace, security, self-determination, and prosperity. I look forward to visiting someday and would proudly fly on their national carrier, whatever it may be. Come back to JFK, please! Slava Ukraini!
it speaks volumes that Ukraine is providing military assistance to Gulf countries because of Ukraine’s experience in killing drones.
It also speaks volumes that Gulf countries have been trying to operate flights with drone and missile attacks taking place.
I agree w/ 1990, it will be a huge win for Ukraine and the world when they move one step closer to normality by re-establishing commercial aviation.
It really is wild how brave and creative the Ukranians have been in adapting to survive the new era of air/sea drone warfare and hybrid/cyber/informational warfare as well. While old-school battleships may look cool, they are sitting ducks these days. Expensive, multi-million-dollar anti-missile technology will bleed our treasuries dry, if we don’t do something to adapt as well. GCCs should have invested in an Iron Dome equivalent, and certainly are going to want/need to do so quickly.
My compliments to Zelensky. To not only continue to survive Putin’s war but also preparing to go forward.
Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy is truly a hero our our times. To begin as a mere comedian and become a wartime defender and the leader of his people is truly remarkable.
In fact, you can still watch his show on Youtube, Servant of the People, from 2015, 3 seasons, where he plays a school teacher who unexpectedly becomes president of Ukraine. It’s pretty good, actually. In one of my favorite scenes from the show, German Chancellor Merkel calls Zelenskyy about membership in the European Union, but it turns out to be a mistake.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8IRLdGpr3Y
In real life, of course, we know Zelenskyy actually became president, and 4 days after Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine applied for EU membership, was granted candidate status in June 2022, and began formal accession negotiations in 2024. I hope someday they do join the EU and that it is a stronger union as a result.
And now we compare another president with the attention span of a gnat that’s so far over his head he can’t determine the next move.
Dementia is a cruel disease.
*deep sigh* I will never understand why that party and this country decided twice to nominate and elect him as our mad-king. Just as before, it’s ruining us. All the lies, grifting, economic and cultural fallout is taking us down after 250 years. Tragic.
(Matt, I just reviewed your 2023 to Kyiv posts. Very well done.)
Not sure is April Fools or not
Not a joke.
I understand there have been discussions about a fleet for the new airline. As Ukraine wants to join the EU, discussions are only taking place in Toulouse.