Lviv airport may reopen by late spring – CEO
Illustrative photo: The airport may open as early as April-May or in the summer (Getty Images)
In an optimistic scenario, Ukraine may see the reopening of its first airport this spring. The facility in Lviv is under consideration, while the government is also evaluating another location, according to Tetiana Romanovska, General Director of Lviv Danylo Halytskyi International Airport and Vysokyi Zamok media outlet.
If there is a positive outcome regarding the end of the war, Lviv's international airport could reopen for flights as early as April or May this year. Other potential dates for reopening the airspace include the summer.
According to Romanovska, 5-7 airlines are ready to operate in Lviv within a month of the terminal's reopening. Additionally, the Ukrainian government is considering reopening another airport in western Ukraine—Uzhhorod.
"Wizz Air, Air Baltic, Turkish Airlines, SkyUp, Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, and LOT are ready to operate flights from Lviv. Currently, the focus is on resuming regular flights. Charter flights will likely be reinstated by SkyUp, which has an extensive European route network and is prepared to operate the same routes from Lviv or another Ukrainian city. This year, airline representatives reached out to us, conducted audits, and are analyzing the situation. Wizz Air already completed its audit last year. Once a decision to reopen airspace is made, airline representatives will arrive within three to four days to begin operations," Romanovska said.
The report notes that travel agencies and tour operators are currently selling summer vacation packages departing from Polish and EU airports. However, if Lviv Airport reopens, tour operators will quickly adjust, as flying from Lviv would be significantly more convenient and cost-effective than from the EU.
"We would like the airport to reopen in the summer because that’s when air traffic is at its peak due to vacations and longer daylight hours. If it happens as early as April or May, that would be excellent for us," the Lviv airport director concluded.
Recall that last month, the CEO of Boryspil Airport, Oleksii Dubrevskyi, stated that the facility would be ready to resume passenger flight operations within a month after Ukraine reopens its airspace.
