Ukraine “working hard” to reopen its airspace to civilian aircraft

Ukraine is "working hard" to restore airspace for civilian aircraft, French minister of transport Clement Beaune says.

France cooperates with Ukraine in the field of training Ukrainian pilots and air traffic controllers. They are already practicing with simulators and in special schools in Toulouse, France. France has now agreed to expand this cooperation.

This is actually a very necessary thing. I hope the moment when civil aviation flights resume over Ukraine will come as soon as possible. If aviators have no practice, they will not be allowed to resume work immediately due to safety rules. That is why we are helping Ukraine prepare for the moment when your airspace will be fully or partially open, the French official said.

Beaune emphasized that it is not up to him to decide when this will happen. However, according to him, Ukrainian officials are now preparing to open the airspace for civil aviation.

The minister assured that France is ready to train Ukrainian seafaring specialists.

Ukraine completely closed its airspace to civilian aircraft on February 24, 2022, the day Russia's full-scale war began.

Prague allocates 22 million crowns (nearly $900,000) for the training of 20-25 Ukrainian civil aviation pilots. After that, students will be able to fly civilian aircraft as co-pilots.

The European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation published a forecast for the development of the aviation industry until 2029. They believe that restrictions on flights over Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, and Moldova will remain in place for almost seven more years.