CEO Michael O’Leary of the Irish aviation group Ryanair sees great opportunities in Ukraine when the war is over. He says the airline is ready to quickly resume operations in Ukraine as soon as it is safe to fly again in the country torn by the Russian invasion.
Before the war, Ryanair was the second player in the Ukrainian aviation market.
The CEO said Ryanair had hired about 60 Ukrainian pilots and 80 cabin crew, now mainly stationed in Poland. When Ukraine is safe again, Ryanair wants to fly on thirty routes in the country and open several bases within a year.
“We can fly there again in two weeks. We are actively looking at ways to re-enter Ukraine,” said O’Leary.
He further stated that the reconstruction offers great opportunities for European companies and that aviation will play an important role in this. O’Leary thinks that the Russian armed forces will blow up roads and bridges on their way out of the country and that planes will then be of great importance in transporting people.
