At a meeting in Kyiv on Thursday, July 20th with Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine and Minister for Reconstruction, Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ryanair unveiled a plan to invest over $3.0 billion in Ukraine’s aviation industry once the war has ended.
On Thursday (July 20, 2023), at a meeting in Kyiv with Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine and Minister for Reconstruction, Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ryanair announced a post-war investment of over $3.0 billion to rapidly rebuild Ukraine’s aviation industry. The initiative will commence once the war is over and EASA declares that flying to and from Ukraine is safe again. Ryanair also held meetings on Thursday at the invitation of Boryspil International Airport’s CEO, Oleksiy Dubrevskyy, with leaders from Ukraine’s key airports in Kyiv, Lviv and Odesa.
Speaking in Kyiv on Thursday, Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary, said,
“Ryanair was Ukraine’s 2nd largest airline before the unlawful Russian invasion in Feb 2022. Once the skies over Ukraine have reopened for commercial aviation, Ryanair will charge back into Ukraine linking the main Ukraine airports with over 20 EU capitals, and we are working closely with the Ukrainian Govt to rebuild Ukraine’s aviation, industry and its economy.
“The fastest way to rebuild and restore the Ukrainian economy will be with low fare air travel. Ryanair intends to invest heavily in Ukraine and lead this aviation recovery by investing up to $3billion and basing up to 30 new Boeing MAX aircraft at Ukraine’s 3 main airports in Kyiv, Lviv and Odesa. Having previously also served Kharkiv and Kherson airports prior to the invasion, Ryanair will return to serving those airports too, as soon as the infrastructure has been restored. Ryanair remains committed to rebuilding and investing in Ukraine. We currently employ hundreds of Ukrainian pilots, cabin crew and IT professionals, and we will look to creating thousands of new jobs in aviation for Ukrainian citizens when Ukraine skies reopen. Ukraine is a country of 40 million people, many of whom have been dispersed across Europe over the past year. We look forward to being able to reunite these families using Ryanair low fare services to the main Ukrainian airports as soon as it is safe to do so. Ryanair’s low fares services will be critical to the rebuilding and recovery of the Ukrainian economy, and we will invest heavily in partnership with the Ukrainian Govt and Ukraine’s main airports as we grow to carry up to 10m passengers p.a. to/from Ukraine once we are allowed to do so by the European and Ukrainian Regulatory Authorities.”
Also commenting at the meeting, Ukraine’s Minister of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development, Oleksandr Kubrakov, said,
“Maintaining the operability of the aviation infrastructure and personnel vocational skills remains vital for us in the conditions of war. Meanwhile, the resumption of flights will be possible as soon as the security situation allows. However, we are already working on solutions and investment plans to enable aircraft to fly up quickly. I am grateful for the leadership in the recovery of our aviation industry, for the specific proposals and decisions of Ryanair, a loyal partner of Ukraine.”
Boryspil International Airport’s CEO, Oleksiy Dubrevskyy, added,
“The visit of Ryanair senior management to Boryspil Airport is a powerful signal that the largest airline in Europe sees huge potential in the Ukrainian air transport market. We, meanwhile, are ready to move from strategic planning to specific operational actions when the airspace becomes open and safe for civil aviation. I strongly believe that Boryspil Airport will remain the main air gate for the return of our citizens to Ukraine and will continue to play a leading role in the recovery of the Ukrainian economy.”
Ryanair Holdings, plc is Europe’s largest airline conglomerate and the parent company of Buzz, Lauda, Malta Air, and Ryanair DAC. The airline carries over 150 million passengers annually with more than 2,500 daily departures. Ryanair serves over 200 destinations in 40 countries with a fleet of over 500 aircraft including Boeing 737NGs, Boeing 737-8200 Gamechangers and Airbus A320s with Lauda. Currently, the low-cost carrier has nearly 150 Boeing 737-8200s on order, and will grow their fleet to 600+ aircraft by 2026. Ryanair has maintained a stellar safety record for nearly 40 years and prides itself on being “Europe’s greenest cleanest airline group,” promising customers a reduction in CO2 emissions of up to 50%, versus the “Big 4 EU major airlines.” The company continues to grow across Europe and plans on carrying 225 million passengers annually by 2026.
Source: Ryanair