Ukraine’s Post-war Airspace: What Will Change in Regulation, Ownership and Reconstruction
Author: Denys Kostrzhevskyi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Kyiv International Airport, specialist in public-private partnerships.
The war paused Ukraine’s civil aviation, but the country is already preparing to reopen its skies. Post-war recovery will bring profound changes to regulatory policies, ownership models, infrastructure and the approaches to flight safety and passenger service.
New Conditions for Aviation Governance after Resumption of Flights
After the war, Ukraine’s aviation governance structure will adapt to closer cooperation with European aviation bodies. Despite ongoing wartime challenges, Ukrainian aviation institutions — the State Aviation Administration and UkSATSE — continue functioning and laying the groundwork for a rapid relaunch of flights.
EUROCONTROL is expected to play a key coordinating role in rebuilding Ukraine’s air traffic management as an integral part of the European aviation network. This means that decisions regarding the reopening of the skies and authorisation of routes will be made jointly with European regulators.
To restore international aviation connectivity, Ukraine will need close alignment with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and EUROCONTROL — without their international risk assessment and safety endorsement, the reopening of Ukrainian airspace will not be possible. In other words, Ukraine’s airspace will reopen through deep integration with the pan-European air traffic management system, enhancing both flight safety and operational efficiency.
Privatisation and Concessions: A New Ownership Model for Airports
After the war, the state will increasingly attract private capital into airport reconstruction and management. Concessions will play a central role in infrastructure redevelopment. Under Ukrainian law, a concession is a form of public-private partnership in which a private operator finances, modernises and manages airport facilities, while the state or community retains ownership of strategic assets (such as runways). This model has already been successfully tested in the long-term lease of Kyiv (Zhulyany) Airport, demonstrating the advantages of private management.
The Government of Ukraine, supported by international partners (EBRD, IFC, etc.), has already begun exploring concession opportunities for the country’s largest airports — primarily Boryspil, Lviv and Odesa. These hubs will become focal points of post-war recovery, requiring significant investment into new terminals, runway rehabilitation, modern cargo complexes and digital management systems.
Foreign investors are also expected to join projects to modernise regional airports — strengthening domestic connectivity and contributing to tourism, trade and humanitarian logistics. Crucially, once the Common Aviation Area Agreement with the EU is fully implemented, all new operators will work within a legal framework harmonised with European standards. Concession-based projects will not only modernise infrastructure, but also create a foundation of international investor trust and deeper integration into the European transport ecosystem.
Legislative Changes and European Standards
Ukraine’s aviation regulatory framework will undergo major changes aligned with European integration. For several years, Ukraine has been harmonising its aviation standards with EU legislation under the Common Aviation Area Agreement. This enhances regulatory predictability for investors and accelerates Ukraine’s integration into the European aviation market.
For example, in April 2023, the President signed legislation introducing a range of European standards into Ukrainian aviation.
The new rules simplify state regulation and align procedures with European practices: aircraft certified for airworthiness by EASA are now recognised in Ukraine without redundant local certification. This eliminates duplication and creates the preconditions for a faster restart of Ukrainian carriers and airports.
In addition to alignment with EU norms, compliance with ICAO standards is also gaining importance. Ukraine has long been a member of the major ICAO aviation conventions, and post-war, the implementation of ICAO recommendations will intensify. This includes flight safety protocols, personnel standards and risk management procedures. International organisations (ICAO, IATA) recommend periodic personnel recertification every 6–24 months to maintain professional competency.
Given that during the wartime hiatus many Ukrainian pilots, engineers and controllers have either lost practice or emigrated, the state will need to implement large-scale retraining and recertification programmes in accordance with European benchmarks. Thus, Ukraine’s aviation law is gradually being restructured to meet EASA and ICAO standards, ensuring high levels of safety and interoperability with Europe’s aviation system.
New Approaches to Aviation Security and Passenger Service
Safety will be the core prerequisite for the resumption of flights — both for aviation and passengers. Operating in skies that recently constituted a conflict zone will require comprehensive risk assessment and close cooperation with international aviation security bodies. Only full confidence in stability and mitigation of military threats will enable gradual reopening of Ukrainian airspace.
Post-war aviation operations will incorporate new risk-assessment protocols: every route and every flight will be analysed individually, and airlines will bear greater responsibility for operational decisions in circumstances where even minimal risk is present.
This approach is already visible elsewhere — for example, in Israel — where part of airspace may be formally open, but certain carriers suspend operations following EASA advisories, while others continue flying based on their own internal risk assessments.
A similar risk-weighted approach will apply to Ukraine when flight services resume: even after official clearance, each carrier will independently decide whether to fly, assuming responsibility for all associated consequences.
On the infrastructure side, airports will introduce additional post-war safety measures. Airports must be prepared not only to serve flights, but also to withstand new-generation threats — from missile strikes to sabotage. Beyond standard evacuation procedures, reinforced perimeter protection and critical-asset safeguarding will be introduced. Particular attention will be paid to secure storage of fuel and volatile materials, as well as cybersecurity protection of IT and energy systems.
All airport facilities, personnel and passengers will require insurance against war-related risks, and emergency response protocols will be expanded based on wartime experience. Qualifications of airport safety staff will become even more crucial — high-skilled emergency personnel, firefighters and medical crews will be essential for operational resilience.
Insurance premiums for flights may temporarily increase due to embedded war-risk factors — but such measures are necessary to restore trust among passengers and crews.
Passenger-facing services will also change. Aviation operators will aim to combine rigorous safety protocols with modern travel comfort. Airports will adopt technologies such as automated biometric border control, digital ID, and streamlined baggage screening. While passengers may experience heightened security checks, overall service quality will improve through process digitalisation.
Restoring customer trust will be key — airlines may introduce flexible ticketing conditions, loyalty programmes and enhanced onboard services to return traffic to pre-war levels. All these changes will operate under the central principle of “safety above all else”, as the experience of war has permanently transformed the meaning and standards of aviation safety.
International Integration and the Single European Aviation Area
Ukraine’s strategic goal is full integration into the European aviation space. The Open Skies Agreement with the EU effectively opens Ukraine’s skies for mutual air service and anchors the industry to shared European rules. All post-war investment opportunities for carriers and infrastructure will be implemented under regulatory alignment with European standards.
This ensures legal clarity and stability for businesses and passengers alike: unified safety standards, streamlined certification, mutual recognition of licences between Ukraine and the EU.
In future, Ukrainian airlines will gain access to the EU internal air transport market, and European carriers will gain access to Ukraine’s — without artificial barriers or restrictions. Ukraine already cooperates closely with EASA and other European structures to fulfil all technical and regulatory conditions necessary for this integration.
EUROCONTROL is coordinating the restoration of Ukrainian air traffic services, while EU member states support training of Ukrainian aviation personnel and provide assistance in modernising equipment. International partnership becomes the cornerstone of recovery.
Ukraine’s presence in the unified European aviation space will make our air market more attractive to investors and safer for passengers — integrating us into the European aviation family.
Ukraine’s post-war aviation renaissance will be built on entirely new foundations. The sector will undergo a comprehensive reconstruction of airports, modernisation of navigation systems, and alignment with leading aviation legal practices. Through concession projects and public-private partnerships, airports will receive vital investment, while international institutions — from financial entities to aviation authorities — will support the implementation of advanced standards.
A new approach to safety will incorporate lessons from wartime experience, ensuring protection and comfort for every passenger. Ultimately, Ukraine’s airspace will become an inseparable part of the wider European sky — bringing more routes, higher service standards and long-anticipated stability of Ukraine’s air connectivity with the world.
