Ryanair Group CEO Michael O’Leary outlined the airline’s plans to re-enter the Ukrainian market during the company’s Q3 2025 results conference call. O’Leary expressed the airline’s commitment to supporting peace efforts in the region, stating that Ryanair would be “The first airline back into Ukraine when it does reopen.”
The budget airline aims to resume services to Ukraine as soon as the airspace safety situation, cleared by European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) allows, with O’Leary highlighting routes from European bases including Dublin, London, Brussels, Milan, and Madrid. He noted that while Ryanair is preparing to operate between 15 and 20 routes to Ukraine, primarily to Kyiv and Lviv airports, there may be some adjustments to current routes in order to accommodate reinstated routes.
This could involve shifting capacity at existing bases, through reducing frequencies for example, on routes from Dublin to destinations in the Canary Islands or Morocco. Ryanair’s return to Ukraine includes the relaunch of its Dublin-Kyiv route, a service the airline previously operated from April 2019 to February 2022 with Boeing 737-800 aircraft, offering twice-weekly flights.
Image Credit: Raimond Spekking via Creative Commons
Irish Aviation Research Institute © 3 February 2025 All Rights Reserved
