Ukraine has allocated $592m (£437m) to guarantee the continuation of flights to and from the country, as fears of flying over its airspace led some airlines to scrap or divert flights as tensions between the west and the Kremlin mount over a possible Russian invasion.
The prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, said the funds “were allocated to ensure flight safety in Ukraine for insurance and leasing companies” and would “stabilise the situation on the market of passenger air transportation and will guarantee the return to Ukraine of our citizens who are currently abroad”.
The Dutch carrier KLM had earlier cancelled flights to Ukraine after the Netherlands government issued a travel warning over the risks of flying in the region, while Germany’s Lufthansa said it was considering suspending air traffic.
A passenger plane operated by the Ukrainian charter airline SkyUp, which was on its way to Kyiv from Madeira in Portugal, was meanwhile diverted on Saturday to the Moldovan capital, Chișinău, after the plane’s Irish owner said it was banning flights in Ukrainian airspace.
Ukraine’s state air traffic service on Sunday advised airlines to avoid flying over the open waters of the Black Sea until Saturday because of Russian naval exercises involving more than 30 Russian ships near the Crimea peninsula. But an adviser to the president’s chief of staff said there was “no point” in further closing the skies and speaking after KLM’s suspension said it “somewhat resembles a kind of partial blockade”.
The Netherlands is especially sensitive to the potential dangers of Ukrainian airspace after a Malaysia Airlines flight, en route to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam, was shot down over an area in eastern Ukraine held by Russia-backed rebels in July 2014, killing all 298 people onboard, including 198 Dutch citizens.
An investigation by the Dutch Safety Board found that the BUK surface-to-air missile that downed the plane had come from a Russian military base.
KLM said in a statement that its decision followed “adjusted travel advice to code red and an extensive safety analysis”.
“KLM has not been flying over the eastern regions of Ukraine and Crimea since 2014,” the company added. “There are now no more KLM flights through Ukrainian airspace until further notice.”
A spokesperson for Lufthansa told Reuters on Sunday: “Lufthansa is monitoring the situation in Ukraine very closely.” Governments of 39 countries have warned their citizens to leave Ukraine as soon as possible, according to the Ukrainian news site Novoe Vremya.
Many foreigners were rushing to book flights after rumours that Ukrainian airspace may soon be closed. “From tomorrow, airlines are advised not to fly … over this area, and to plan optimal routes in advance, taking into account the current situation,” Ukraine’s state air traffic service said.
Mustafa Nayyem, Ukraine’s deputy infrastructure minister, said on Sunday the government had not closed the country’s airspace. “Closing the airspace is a sovereign right of Ukraine and the government has not taken this decision,” Nayyem wrote on Facebook.
Nayyem said the majority of airlines continued to operate but some were facing difficulties with insurers, given fears of a Russian attack. “We expect that in the nearest time the situation will stabilise, but nevertheless the state is ready to support airlines and plans to offer additional financial guarantees to support the air travel market,” wrote Nayyem.
Kyiv’s Boryspil airport said it continued to operate normally on Sunday afternoon. “As of today, almost all flights are on schedule and without changes,” the airport said. “Stay calm, and watch for possible changes in the schedule.”
Both KLM and Lufthansa began rescheduling flights in January to avoid airline crews having to stay in the Ukrainian capital overnight as the buildup of Russian troops at the Ukrainian border intensified. The Irish low-cost airline Ryanair said in late January that it had reduced flights to and from the country.
