Flights from one of Ukraine’s airports — either Lviv or Boryspil— might resume by the end of January 2025, senior partner at Marsh McLennan, Crispin Ellison, announced on Thursday at the 10th Kyiv International Economic Forum (KIEF) in Kyiv, says in Interfax-Ukraine.
“I think, if we’re lucky, in January (2025) we’ll have five or six airlines willing to fly [from Ukraine],” said Ellison.
He explained that securing insurance mechanisms for aviation would be easier if flights were to begin from Lviv Airport. However, President Volodymyr Zelensky is insistent on prioritising the reopening of Boryspil International Airport.
“The President will hate me for saying this, as he’s focused on Boryspil, but the initial focus is on Lviv. It’s just a seven-minute flight from Poland,” said Ellison, the senior partner at Marsh McLennan.
He also noted that passenger aircraft such as the Airbus 320 and Boeing 737, along with smaller passenger airliners, would need insurance worth at least three-quarters of a billion dollars.
According to Ellison, the final decision on resuming flights will be made by the President’s Office, contingent upon the effectiveness of air defence systems and the broader security situation.
“I keep saying that Lviv is much safer than Tel Aviv. People don’t like it when I say that, but I say it,” he added.
It was previously reported that the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development, with support from the US Embassy, has created a “roadmap” for reopening Ukraine’s airspace under martial law conditions.
Note: Air Cargo Week has reached out to key government departments, industry representatives, and a Ukrainian aviation expert for comment on the likelihood of flights resuming in Ukraine by January 2025. We’ll keep our readers informed with further updates as more information becomes available.
