Ukraine plans phased airport reopening amid security challenges

Focus on safety and phased restart

The newly formed group will develop concrete proposals to relaunch flights while ensuring the protection of critical aviation infrastructure. This includes assessing airport readiness, air traffic management capabilities, and security protocols in a still volatile environment.

The task force will meet both in person and virtually, drawing up recommendations for the safe resumption of operations and the safeguarding of aviation assets.

Deputy Minister Serhii Derkach will lead the initiative, with the authority to involve a broad range of stakeholders across government bodies, emergency services, aviation authorities, and infrastructure agencies.

Industry-wide representation

The working group brings together senior figures from across Ukraine’s aviation ecosystem, including representatives from the State Aviation Administration, Ukraine air navigation services, and the Armed Forces. It will also meet with international organizations such as the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO).

Airport operators are also directly involved, notably executives from both Kiev airports (Boryspil and Zhuliany), and Lviv Danylo Halytskyi International Airport. The three hubs are widely seen as the most likely candidates for an initial reopening phase.

Insurance and airline readiness key hurdles

Discussions about reopening Ukrainian airspace have been ongoing since 2023, but major challenges remain—particularly around security guarantees and aviation insurance.

Industry experts have previously indicated that if viable insurance mechanisms are in place, a handful of airlines could be ready to resume limited operations at short notice. Estimates suggest between five and six carriers have expressed conditional interest in restarting services.

Operational constraints are also significant. A departing flight from Kyiv Boryspil, for example, would need to remain within Ukrainian airspace for roughly 40 minutes before reaching a safer corridor.

Lviv, first airport to reopen to international traffic?

Lviv, in western Ukraine, is however considered a more suitable option due to its distance from frontline areas. The airport is less than 100 km away from the Polish border which would translate into a 15-minutes time frame over the Ukrainian territory for an aircraft. Before the start of the war in 2022, Lviv was welcoming 1.8 million passengers, with a brand-new terminal able to accommodate 5 million passengers a year. Around 15 airlines -including Ryanair and Wizz air- connected the airport to 60 destinations.

However, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly stated that Kyiv Boryspil should be the first airport to reopen, signaling its symbolic and strategic importance.

Earlier projections had suggested a limited reopening in 2025, but ongoing security risks delayed any firm timeline. Any restart of flights will in the meantime depend on a complex mix of military, regulatory, and commercial factors.

The creation of the working group underlines Ukraine’s intent to rebuild its aviation sector as part of a broader recovery strategy. However, any restart of flights will depend on a complex mixture of military, regulatory, and commercial elements. Especially as Lviv is from time to time (fortunately rarely) the target of Russian missiles.

For now, the focus remains on planning a phased and highly controlled reopening which could hopefully happen this year. And give hopes for a return to some kind of normalcy for Ukraine, which has proved its courage for over 4 years…