Ryanair has come under fire for continuing to promote Kyiv city breaks online, despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.
One social media user shared a screenshot of the budget airline’s website, showing the headline “Kyiv on a budget”.
Video journalist Inês tweeted: “Woke up, checked Ryanair’s cheap flights options, chose ‘budget breaks’, and saw ‘Kyiv on a budget’.
“Wtf @Ryanair? Please be more considerate of others’ suffering ffs.”
The budget guide to the Ukrainian capital calls it “cheap and cheerful” and “the ultimate destination for a city break”.
When The Independent went onto the low-cost carrier’s website and clicked “Try Somewhere New”, the first article that comes up – “11 cities as low cost as our flights” – features Kyiv in at number six.
“Veer off the beaten track, escape the throngs of camera-flashing tourists and explore the undiscovered corners of Kiev/Kyiv,” reads the Ryanair guide.
“Go searching for secrets in the city’s many nooks and crannies and surprise yourself with eclectic street art, hidden courtyards and vibrant villages.”
Ryanair, along with the vast majority of the world’s airlines, suspended all its flights to Ukraine at the end of February following Russia’s unprovoked invasion of the country.
While Russian forces withdrew from Kyiv earlier this month, they left large-scale devastation in their wake, with scores of unexploded shells and bombs, as well as mines, left behind.
Citizens are tentatively going back to their homes, with around 30,000 having returned to the city so far, according to local authorities.
It remains unclear when air travel might be able to resume to the beleaguered city – let alone tourism.
A Ryanair spokesperson told The Independent: “Ryanair has thousands of content articles and this article was published in 2020 as part of our travel content blog. Ryanair is clearly not currently promoting flights to Kyiv.”
