Ryanair vows to return to Ukraine two weeks after war ends

Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair is set to resume flights to Ukraine within two weeks of the end of the war and open 30 routes with several local bases within the first year of operations, the CEO of the airline, Michael O'Leary, said at the Bloomberg New Economy Gateway Europe conference in Ireland.

He stated that Ryanair hired about 60 Ukrainian pilots and 80 crew members in anticipation of the opening of flights.

"We could fly there in about two weeks. We’re actively looking at ways and looking where we can charge back into Ukraine," O’Leary said.

The businessman predicts that the reconstruction of Ukraine will create huge opportunities for European business, and aviation will play a key role because "the Russians will probably destroy roads and bridges on the way out."

Bloomberg points out that before the Russian invasion, Ryanair was the second-largest air carrier in Ukraine. O'Leary believes it will be No. 1 in peacetime.

On April 11, the state air traffic enterprise Ukraerorukh announced that air flights in Ukraine will resume after the end of the war.

At the same time, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation assumes that restrictions on civil aviation flights in the airspace of Ukraine may remain in place for a long period.