Kyiv Independent reported that Director General of Danylo Halytskyi International Airport, Ms. Tetiana Romanovska, said that aviation activities here could be reconnected as early as April or May this year under an optimistic scenario that the Ukrainian government is considering.
Other timelines for reopening Ukrainian airspace are also being considered, including the summer months.
According to Romanovska, there have been about five to seven airlines including Wizz Air, Air Baltic, Turkish Airlines, SkyUp, Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa and LOT showing their readiness to operate flights in Ukraine's Lviv city once the airport reopens.
Romanovska said that airline representatives have contacted her to begin checking and assessing the situation, while Wizz Air has completed these tasks since last year.
As expected, when there is a decision to reopen, airlines can immediately mobilize teams and start operating within just 3 to 4 days later.
In an interview, Romanovska expressed hope the airport could reopen in the summer, explaining that this is the busiest time for aviation - the season for holidays and travel. The director was further excited when mentioning the case of the airport in Lviv being resumed next month.
In addition to the Lviv terminal, the Ukrainian government is also considering reopening a Uzhhorod airport in the country's western region, near the borders of three NATO member states, including Slovakia, Hungary and Poland.
According to Kyiv Independent, Minister of Community and territorial Development in Ukraine, Mr. Oleksii Kuleba, said that the country's aviation is 95% ready to resume commercial flights, but noted that passenger safety must be ensured in the context of the ongoing conflict with Russia.
In an interview with Suspilne, Mr. Kuleba emphasized that only when Ukraine does not have a strict enough defense system capable of protecting multiple airports at the same time can it consider reopening the door. Unfortunately, that is not practical at the moment, said Mr. Kuleba.
Ukraine has closed its airspace to civil aviation since martial law was imposed and the full-scale conflict broke out in 2022. When asked whether Ukraine's aviation could be expected to resume operations in 2025, Mr. Kuleba said it depended on the situation on the front.
In recent days, the Russian military has repeatedly declared to re-control many important areas such as Sudzha, in Kursk province, and continued to expand its campaign in Ukraine as it entered Sumy province.
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in Washington, Russia recaptured about 70% of the territory occupied by Ukraine in the first weeks of the attack on Kursk. Many Ukrainian soldiers are traveling dozens of kilometers to return to Ukrainian territory, while avoiding being chased by Russian troops.
