Flights expected to resume at a Ukrainian airport by January 2025

Source: Interfax-Ukraine

Ukraine is gearing up to resume flights at one of its airports by the end of January 2025, potentially reopening the skies at either Lviv or Boryspil Airport. This exciting prospect, revealed by Crispin Ellison, a senior partner at Marsh McLennan, came during the 10th Kyiv International Economic Forum.

Ellison said that if all goes according to plan, as many as five to six airlines could begin operating routes from Ukraine early next year. He pointed out that insurance logistics might favor Lviv Airport due to its nearness to Poland—a mere seven-minute flight—although Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky is strongly advocating for reopening Kyiv’s Boryspil International Airport as the primary hub.

“President Zelensky might hate me for saying this,” Ellison quipped, “but my initial focus remains on Lviv.” He went on to note that, for flights to resume, passenger jets like the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 would require insurance coverage of at least $750 million.

The final decision rests with the Office of the Ukrainian President, contingent on the capabilities of Ukraine’s air defense systems and the overall security situation. Ellison believes that Lviv appears to be a safer option, even comparing it to Tel Aviv’s risk levels. Despite some pushback on this comparison, he stood by his belief in Lviv’s relative safety.