REG - Ryanair Holdings PLC Ryanair Holdings-RYA - RYANAIR ANNOUNCES $3BN POST WAR UKRAINE PLAN

Ryanair HoldingsAnnouncement

20/07/2023 14:00

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RNS Number : 7000G  Ryanair Holdings PLC  20 July 2023

RYANAIR ANNOUNCES $3 BILLION POST WAR UKRAINE GROWTH & INVESTMENT PLAN

UP TO 30 AIRCRAFT AND 10M PASSENGERS P.A. IN UKRAINE

 

Ryanair, Europe's largest airline, today (Thurs 20(th) July) held an important
meeting in Kyiv, together with Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of
Ukraine and Minister for Infrastructure, Oleksandr Kubrakov, at which it
unveiled plans to invest heavily (over $3 billion) to rapidly rebuild
Ukraine's aviation industry once the war ends and EASA declares that flying
to/from Ukraine is safe again. Ryanair also held meetings today in Kyiv with
the Ukraine's main airports, Kyiv, Lviv and Odesa in Boryspil International
Airport at the invitation of Oleksiy Dubrevskyy, CEO of Boryspil international
Airport.

 

During the visit, Ryanair's senior management and the airport examined the
condition of the airport terminals, baggage claim and passenger check-in and
boarding gate areas, control points, aprons, where they saw the excellent
state of the airport infrastructure and its operational readiness to resume
flights when safe to do so. Ryanair congratulated the efforts of the employees
of Boryspil International Airport to save and maintain the operability of the
airport's infrastructure facilities during the war.

 

Michael O'Leary, CEO of the Ryanair Group, was inspired by the dedication of
Boryspil Airport employees, who are motivated and comprehensively working for
the post-war recovery of air traffic. He emphasized: "Ryanair remains a
committed partner in rebuilding and investing in Ukraine aviation. Today we
saw that in the most difficult conditions of war, the Boryspil airport team
demonstrates its professionalism and is fully ready for the resumption of
flights as soon as possible.

 

Ryanair has committed to returning with low fare flights to/from Ukraine
within 8 weeks of the reopening of Ukraine air space. This will see 600 weekly
flights being operated by Ryanair aircraft from the main airports of Kyiv,
Lviv and Odesa, connecting these cities to over 20 EU capitals. In addition,
Ryanair plans to open daily domestic flights between Kyiv, Lviv and Odesa, as
soon as those airports are able to handle them.

 

Ryanair plans in the first 12 months post war to offer over 5 million seats
to/from and within Ukraine, and this will build to over 10 million seats over
a 5 year period. Ryanair, the Govt of Ukraine, and its main airports, have
committed to a rapid rebuild in Ukraine's aviation, and Ryanair will base up
to 30 new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft worth over $3 billion at the 3 main Ukraine
airports giving Ukrainian citizens and visitors access to Europe's lowest air
fares, as Ukraine rebuilds its economy in a post invasion environment,

 

Speaking in Kyiv today, Ryanair's Michael O'Leary said:

 

"Ryanair was Ukraine's 2(nd) largest airline before the unlawful Russian
invasion in Feb 2022. Once the skies over Ukraine have reopened for commercial
aviation, Ryanair will charge back into Ukraine linking the main Ukraine
airports with over 20 EU capitals, and we are working closely with the
Ukrainian Govt to rebuild Ukraine's aviation, industry and its economy.

 

The fastest way to rebuild and restore the Ukrainian economy will be with low
fare air travel. Ryanair intends to invest heavily in Ukraine and lead this
aviation recovery by investing up to $3billion and basing up to 30 new Boeing
MAX aircraft at Ukraine's 3 main airports in Kyiv, Lviv and Odesa. Having
previously also served Kharkiv and Kherson airports prior to the invasion,
Ryanair will return to serving those airports too, as soon as the
infrastructure has been restored.

 

Ryanair remains committed to rebuilding and investing in Ukraine. We currently
employ hundreds of Ukrainian pilots, cabin crew and IT professionals, and we
will look to creating thousands of new jobs in aviation for Ukrainian citizens
when Ukraine skies reopen. Ukraine is a country of 40 million people, many of
whom have been dispersed across Europe over the past year. We look forward to
being able to reunite these families using Ryanair low fare services to the
main Ukrainian airports as soon as it is safe to do so. Ryanair's low fares
services will be critical to the rebuilding and recovery of the Ukrainian
economy, and we will invest heavily in partnership with the Ukrainian Govt and
Ukraine's main airports as we grow to carry up to 10m passengers p.a. to/from
Ukraine once we are allowed to do so by the European and Ukrainian Regulatory
Authorities."

 

Summarizing the results of the meeting, Oleksandr Kubrakov, the Minister of
Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine noted:

 

"Maintaining the operability of the aviation infrastructure and personnel
vocational skills remains vital for us in the conditions of war. Meanwhile,
the resumption of flights will be possible as soon as the security situation
allows. However, we are already working on solutions and investment plans to
enable aircraft to fly up quickly. I am grateful for the leadership in the
recovery of our aviation industry, for the specific proposals and decisions of
Ryanair, a loyal partner of Ukraine."

 

Oleksiy Dubrevskyy, CEO of Boryspil Airport said:

 

"The visit of Ryanair senior management to Boryspil Airport is a powerful
signal that the largest airline in Europe sees huge potential in the Ukrainian
air transport market. We, meanwhile, are ready to move from strategic planning
to specific operational actions when the airspace becomes open and safe for
civil aviation. I strongly believe that Boryspil Airport will remain the main
air gate for the return of our citizens to Ukraine and will continue to play a
leading role in the recovery of the Ukrainian economy."

 

ENDS

 

For further information

please contact:                        Press
Office

Ryanair DAC

Tel: +353-1-9451799

press@ryanair.com (mailto:press@ryanair.com)

 

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