European airlines want to enter the Ukrainian market first, says the Cabinet of Ministers.
Ukraine is ready to open airports and resume international flights. To this end, Kyiv has begun official negotiations with European and American administrators, said the Minister of Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Alexander Kubrakov. When the airports can start operating in Ukraine is more than the story.
Flying in wartime
“The Ukrainian side conveys to the two regulators its vision of how the market will work under martial law, its risk assessment, strategies, algorithms,” Kubrakov said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
According to him, the most successful example of a country where airports operate, where drones or missiles can arrive at any time, is Israel. Kyiv is now conducting consultations with the civil aviation administration of this country, in particular, most of which are headed by former military personnel.
At the plan level, there are different scenarios for the number of airports that can be opened in Ukraine.
“It is important for us to hear the first official comment from the regulators,” added Kurbanov.
Does anyone like it?
“I don’t want to mention any deadlines, but we will move it officially and we will enter into official negotiations with the regulators,” emphasized Kubrakov.
The minister assures that there are interested airlines in Europe who want to be the first to continue work on the Ukrainian aviation market. In particular, Ryanair said they wanted the entire market immediately after the opening of the airspace. In addition, negotiations are underway with three Ukrainian airlines, which have also confirmed that they want to fly here.
“They also confirm, of course, that they want to fly here, this is their base airport, their base country,” Kurbanov said.
As for the creation of your own national aviation operator, now, as the minister explained, during a war it is certainly not the main priority, but then this issue needs to be returned.
Who will be first?
In June 2023, the chairman of Lviv OVA, Maxim Kozitsky, started talking about the opening of the Lviv airport. According to him, the airport can function like a grain corridor. Kozitsky noted that the airport could become a humanitarian corridor providing support to the European Union.
After that, in July, the management of Europe’s largest airline, Ryanair, visited Ukraine and held negotiations at Boryspil airport on the resumption of flights.
Then the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reacted to such news. The representative of the department, Yuriy Ignat, said that in the near future, neither Lviv nor any other airport in Ukraine will be opened, and the only condition for this is that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have all the necessary means to protect the sky.
At the same time, he advised all those who want to fly abroad to use airports in neighboring countries. In particular, Poland.
“Now why does everyone want to go abroad? Poland is nearby and you can fly perfectly from there,” said Ignat.
Following this harsh statement, the topic of resuming civil flights in Ukraine “calmed down.”
What about security?
People’s Deputy Vladimir Kreidenko responded to Kurbanov’s statement today. According to him, even a dozen air defense systems near one of Ukraine’s airports will not ensure flight safety.
“They do not guarantee security in the conditions of opening the airspace in Ukraine. Even dozens of air defenses are installed near the airports. Ballistics is difficult to shoot down. Missile pieces are also affects this risk,” Kreidenko believes.
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.