Ukrainian airline SkyUp Airlines announced on Dec. 11 the launch of a program of direct scheduled flights from Chisinau, Moldova to several European destinations, according to the company's statement.
Ukraine's airspace has been entirely closed since the start of the full-scale invasion began. Ukrainians traveling abroad must use road or rail to reach neighboring countries to catch flights. The country has explored options to reopen some airports, but lacks the air defenses needed to protect the airspace amid continued Russian drone and missile attacks.
SkyUp chose the Chisinau Airport in Moldova as it is the closest international hub to Ukraine. Chisinau is located nearly 70 kilometers (44 miles) from the Ukrainian border and roughly 180 kilometers (111 miles) from the nearest major Ukrainian city, Odesa, in southern Ukraine.
Flights from Chisinau are scheduled to start in April 2025, and tickets are already available for booking from Dec. 11, 2024. The list of routes includes cities in Spain, Portugal, France, Greece, and Cyprus, as the statement read.
On April 11, 2023, the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol) published a seven-year forecast that included the likelihood of restrictions over Ukrainian airspace remaining in place until 2029.
The State Enterprise for Air Traffic Services said in 2023 that Ukrainian airspace "will reopen after the war ends."
Crispin Ellison, a senior partner at the Marsh McLennan insurance and risk management firm, said on Nov. 7 that at least one of Ukraine's airports, either in Lviv or Boryspil near Kyiv, could resume operations by the end of January 2025.
Communities and Territories Development Minister Oleksii Kuleba said on Nov. 21 that Ukraine is "95%" ready to resume commercial flights, but the key remaining factor is ensuring the safety of passengers.
Olena Goncharova
(Updated: )
