Airspace Closures
Ukraine’s Closed Skies
Status: Closed to all civil flights since February 2022. No reopening date announced as of October 2026. Airspace rules change at short notice. Always check with your airline before travelling.
Ukraine is one of Europe’s largest countries, home to more than 30 million people. Yet since February 2022, not a single civil passenger flight has taken off or landed there. Its airports are silent, its airspace closed, and anyone travelling to or from the country does at least part of the journey by land.
What the closure means
Ukraine closed its airspace to civil aviation in February 2022 because of the war, and it has remained closed ever since. That covers every airport in the country, including Kyiv’s Boryspil, once a busy international hub, and Lviv, Odesa and Kharkiv.
International airlines also avoid crossing Ukrainian airspace, so flights between Central Europe and destinations around the Black Sea and the Caucasus now route around it.
The real numbers
Ukraine’s skies in numbers
Feb 2022
Closed since
All civil flights stopped
0
Civil passenger flights
In or out of Ukraine
50+ months
And counting
No reopening date announced
By land
Last leg
Rail, bus or car from neighbours
How travellers get in and out
With no flights, travellers fly to a neighbouring country and continue overland. The most common gateways are in Poland: Rzeszów, close to the border, plus Kraków and Warsaw. Moldova’s capital Chișinău is used for travel to the south. From the border, Ukraine’s national railway runs long-distance trains to major cities, and buses and cars cross at road border points.
The overland leg can take many hours, so travellers usually plan an overnight stop or a sleeper train. Anyone considering travel should follow their own government’s official travel advice, which in many countries advises against travel to Ukraine.
What happened to Ukraine’s airlines and airports
Ukrainian airlines lost their home market overnight. Some suspended operations entirely, while others moved aircraft abroad or flew for other airlines from foreign bases. Airports, including Boryspil near Kyiv, have stood largely unused for years.
What reopening would involve
Restarting civil aviation isn’t as simple as unlocking the doors. Airspace has to be judged safe for civil flights, air traffic control services have to restart, airports need inspection and certification, and airlines and insurers have to be willing to fly. Some airports, such as Lviv in the west, have been reported as largely undamaged and technically ready, which would make them likely early candidates. No timeline has been announced.
Sources & Further Reading
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you fly to Ukraine right now?
No. Ukraine’s airspace has been closed to all civil flights since February 2022, and there is no announced reopening date.
How do people travel to Ukraine?
Most fly to an airport in a neighbouring country, commonly in Poland (such as Rzeszów, Kraków or Warsaw) or Moldova (Chișinău), and continue by train, bus or car. Ukraine’s railways run long-distance services from the border.
Do airlines fly over Ukraine?
No. Civil flights avoid Ukrainian airspace entirely, so routes between Europe and the Black Sea, Caucasus and beyond pass around it.
What happened to Ukrainian airlines?
With no flights from home, Ukrainian airlines have either suspended operations, moved aircraft abroad, or operated flights for other airlines from bases outside Ukraine.
Are Ukrainian airports ready to reopen?
Some, such as Lviv in the west, have been reported as largely undamaged and technically able to resume operations once flights are permitted. Reopening would require the safety situation to allow it and regulators to approve.