International airlines reaffirm their interest in returning to Ukraine: results of Boryspil airport work in Routes Europe 2026
25 May 2026
Boryspil International Airport participated in one of the key international aviation forums, that is Routes Europe 2026, which was conducted in Rimini (Italy) on May 18—20. Within the framework of the event the delegation of Boryspil Airport met with leading international air carriers, airports and organizations operating in the said industry at the more than 20 working meetings where the prospects of resuming air connections with Ukraine after the opening of air space were discussed.
During the negotiations, the parties discussed the current status of Boryspil Airport, the level of infrastructure readiness for the resumption of operational activities, interaction with insurance and leasing companies, approaches to the phased and controlled resumption of flights, when the safety situation allows, as well as the prospects for the return of international carriers and further development of the route network in Ukraine, as well as issues of slot coordination.
Special attention was paid to maintaining an ongoing dialogue with airlines regarding preparations for the future resumption of flights. As a result, a number of international carriers have confirmed their interest in returning to Boryspil airport after conditions for civil aviation become safe. Lufthansa Group (Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Eurowings, ITA Airways), Wizz Air, SAS, Norwegian, LOT Polish Airlines, airBaltic, Air France, KLM, Air Cairo and Finnair were among the partners with whom the meetings were held.
During the work of the forum, series of meetings were also arranged with key European airports, e.g. Vienna Airport, Fraport Bulgaria, IGA Istanbul Airport, Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, King Salman International Airport, Polish and Lithuanian airports. The colleagues expressed their support for the future resumption of the aviation market of Ukraine, particularly to Boryspil International Airport.
The results of negotiations with international air carriers proved the effectiveness of the airport’s chosen strategy for the preservation of infrastructure, retention of qualified personnel, operational readiness and compliance with regulatory requirements for a quick resumption of operations after the opening of the airspace of Ukraine.
Airline representatives emphasized that the KBP (Kyiv) destination will continue to be strategically important and also reassured in their readiness to resume flights on historical routes.
Despite the closed airspace, even today the Ukrainian market is covering about 8 million passengers per year through alternative types of transportation, which, together with the Ukrainian diasporas in the EU countries that were formed during the war, and approx. 6.5 million Ukrainian refugees, creates a significant long-term potential for the development of the aviation market of Ukraine, in particular the VFR segment (visiting friends and relatives).
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Routes Europe is one of the key international aviation forums in the field of route network development and cooperation between airports, airlines, tourism organizations and other participants in the European aviation market.