The chief executive officer of Ryanair Holdings Plc, Michael O’Leary, said that the airline is ready to quickly resume operations in Ukraine after the end of hostilities and the opening of airspace over the country.
According to Bloomberg, Ryanair hired about 60 Ukrainian pilots and about 80 crew members, who are mostly based in Poland, waiting for the market to open.
According to O’Leary, the airline plans to establish 30 routes and deploy several bases in the country within 12 months of its return.
He is convinced that the recovery of Ukraine will provide a huge opportunity for European business and aviation will play a key role.
“The Russians will probably blow up roads and bridges on the way out,” he says, adding that airplanes will be a key mode of transportation.
Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent closure of the country’s airspace, Ryanair was the second-largest airline in the market. Now the carrier, as the general director says, will strive to win the championship.
Opening of airspace over Ukraine – what you need to know
The day before, the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol) said in a report that restrictions on civil aviation flights in the airspace of Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, and Russia will probably be in effect until 2029. The pessimistic forecast ignited a debate about the opening of the sky over Ukraine, closed due to a full-scale war unleashed by Russia.
Experts stressed that so far “Ukraerorukh” cannot give clear forecasts about what will happen to the airspace. The DP assured that the Ukrainian airspace will be opened immediately after the victory of Ukraine.