Ukraine officially initiated talks with the United States and the European Union regulators regarding the resumption of passenger air travel in Ukraine. Vice Prime Minister for Reintegration and Minister of Development of Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure, Oleksandr Kubrakov, stated this in an interview with “RBC-Ukraine.”
“It is important for us to hear the first official feedback from the regulators,” the minister added.
According to him, there are different scenarios regarding the number of airports that can be opened in Ukraine at the planning level. However, it is too early to talk about any specific timelines. Nevertheless, the Ukrainian side is already conveying its vision to the regulators of how the market will operate under the conditions of martial law, as well as providing an assessment of risks, approaches, and algorithms.
“There are not many examples worldwide where airports operate, and at any moment drones or missiles can arrive. Israel is the most successful example. We have spent and continue to spend a lot of time consulting with the Civil Aviation Administration of Israel,” Kubrakov said.
He assured that there are European airlines interested in and wanting to be the first during the restoration of the Ukrainian aviation market, but he refused to name them. According to the minister, negotiations are also underway with three Ukrainian companies.
“They also confirm, of course, that they want to fly here, these are their base airports, their base country,” the minister said.
The restoration of flights began to be discussed more frequently in the information field at the beginning of 2024 concerning Ukraine’s plans amid the war. The head of the President’s Office, Andriy Yermak, stated that Ukraine is working on restoring the operation of one of the airports. However, this will only happen when all security issues are resolved.
