Director General of Lviv Danylo Halytskyi International Airport, Tetyana Romanovsa, told Connect delegates that the Ukrainian airport retaining operational readiness was a key priority as war which has brought the country’s commercial air traffic to a standstill entered its fifth year.
Lviv airport, located in western Ukraine, had been growing fast prior to, first the pandemic, and then Russian invasion in 2022. The airport handled over 2.2 million passengers in 2019 and, having recovered passenger levels to 1.8 million in 2021, had been expecting to exceed 2.5 million in 2022 before the outbreak of hostilities. At this point Lviv had 23 airlines servicing 72 destinations from the airport.
“We have to keep operational readiness because we always have to be ready to reopen,” Romanovsa said during panel session about the Ukraine market. “The more time we are not flying the harder it becomes.”
Romanovsa said a full plan is in place for any restart of operations, which includes a gradual restoration, but that how quickly flights could resume if there is a ceasefire depends on the airlines. “We are happy that many airlines are keeping an eye and still planning on opening flights as soon as possible,” she added.
