Budget airlines set to return to Ukraine — Financial Times
Airlines have developed plans to return to Ukraine (photo: Freepik)
European low-cost airlines plan to resume flights to Ukraine as soon as the airspace becomes safe for passenger flights, according to the Financial Times.
Wizz Air
Wizz Air has already developed a detailed plan for its return: the company wants to deploy 15 aircraft in Ukraine within two years after a peace agreement and increase its fleet to 50 within seven years.
According to CEO József Váradi, the resumption of flights will be a significant opportunity for the carrier. He also predicts a wave of so-called catastrophe tourism in Ukraine.
Ryanair
Ryanair, which carried approximately 1.5 million passengers a year to Kyiv, Lviv, and Odesa before the war, says it is ready to resume flights within two weeks of the conclusion of a security agreement. The company plans to increase passenger traffic to 4 million per year.
easyJet
Another major low-cost airline, easyJet, is also considering entering the Ukrainian market. CEO Kenton Jarvis calls Ukraine potentially the biggest construction project in Europe, where many people will want to return after the war ends.
Before Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukrainian airports served tens of millions of passengers. In 2019, this figure approached 15 million, and in 2021, it reached 10.8 million, according to Cirium.
On September 10, Poland restricted air traffic along its border with Ukraine and Belarus. This was done for national security reasons, and the restriction will remain in effect until December 9.
