When it's safe: AirBaltic has plan to return to Ukraine

This was reported to Bloomberg by the company's CEO Martin Gauss.

It is noted that the airline plans to transfer its capacity from other destinations to Ukraine as soon as it is safe to do so. In addition, AirBaltic would also like to leave some planes in Ukraine overnight, a practice known as ‘night stopping’.

“We can be flying tonight if it’s safe,” he said. “I would even fly empty there if it’s clear we can fly out and would sell the tickets, and the tickets are sold.”

Previously, AirBaltic operated flights from Kyiv, Lviv, and Odesa. Ryanair Holdings Plc has promised to deploy 30 aircraft and help rebuild Ukraine's aviation industry after the war.

The airline will reportedly be able to cross Ukrainian airspace to fly direct routes south of Latvia to destinations such as Dubai and Greece.

Opening of airports in Ukraine

• On May 2, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that sufficient air defense capabilities, including F-16 aircraft, would allow Ukraine to open an airport in Lviv.
• At the same time, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force said that a functioning airport in Lviv could be a potential target of Russia, so all possible risks must be understood before opening it.
• Ukraine's aviation authority is ready to resume flights by 95%, but the key condition for this is to ensure passenger safety.