The CEO of Ryanair, Michael O'Leary, made this statement, as reported by RBK-Ukraine referencing his interview with Reuters. This information was also reported by Kontrakty.UA.
"We will have 2 million seats available within six weeks (after the skies reopen). Then, I believe we will want to establish bases in Kyiv and Lviv within 12 months. After that, I think we can increase the number of passengers from 2 to 5 million within a year or two," O'Leary stated.
He mentioned that returning to some other airports in Ukraine may take longer due to the significant damage caused by Russia's three-year war with Ukraine.
According to him, the airline aims to have 6-8 routes to Ukraine from Poland. Ryanair will launch 24 new routes from Poland this summer. O'Leary noted that summer fares are expected to rise overall by 4-6% this year.
It is worth recalling that Ukrainian airspace has been closed to civilian aviation since February 24, 2022. An official cessation of hostilities is required to meet the demands of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
Previously, Ryanair's CEO Michael O'Leary stated that the airline is developing a plan that will allow flights to commence within four to six weeks after the conflict ends.
Wizz Air is also planning to resume flights to Ukraine shortly after a ceasefire announcement with Russia. Within six months after the war ends, Wizz Air will reinstate operations at its bases in Kyiv and Lviv, offering 5 million passenger seats annually across 60 routes.