Ryanair is developing plans to resume flights to Ukraine amid growing expectations that US President Donald Trump may help end the war with Russia. This was reported by The Telegraph, according to UNN.
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary said that the company is preparing an action plan to resume flights within four to six weeks after the end of hostilities. The preparations are being made amid efforts by the former US president to push for a ceasefire.
I really hope that this will happen this year. I think that one of the things that Trump can ensure will be an earlier resolution of the issue of Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine
Ryanair plans to open about 24 routes to Kyiv and Lviv after the resumption of flights.
To do this, the company plans to redirect aircraft based at airports such as London Stansted and Paris Orly.
However, the resumption of flights requires an official cessation of hostilities to obtain permission from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
Ultimately, some kind of truce is needed, because EASA will not allow flights to this region unless there is a certainty that no missiles will be flying there
Before the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ryanair was the second largest airline in Ukraine.
O'Leary said that the company has a "fantastic reputation" in countries that were previously under communist influence.
They all love Ryanair. They see us a bit like McDonald's - we are a cool American brand
He also added that Kyiv and Lviv are ready to resume flights: baggage carousels are being run weekly to check their serviceability. However, it may take longer to return to Odesa due to the extensive damage. Some airports in the east and south, according to O'Leary, have been "bombed to smithereens" and virtually destroyed.
Among them is the airport in Kherson, where Ryanair operated flights before the invasion. The city was heavily damaged after it was seized by Russian troops and later retaken by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Last year, O'Leary visited Ukraine, toured the Kyiv airport, met with the Minister of Infrastructure and presented a "radical plan to restore air travel.
He also spoke about his 10-hour train ride from Poland, which he said was "painful," and that the train could not be an effective way to return millions of Ukrainians scattered across Europe.
There was a huge interest in the return of air traffic. Even in the early days, there will be strong passenger traffic due to family reunification and the inflow of investments in economic recovery. We will be at the forefront of this process
Recall
Ryanair has announced that it will resume flights to and from Tel Aviv from the end of March. Ticket sales for the new routes have already begun.