The airline has been granted permission to operate seven routes between the Czech Republic and Ukraine, starting in April, including a twice-weekly route from Brno. Another connection with the Ukrainian capital is planned from Ostrava. Photo credit: ZM / BD.
Brno, Jan 3 (BD) – Brno-Turany Airport could see a much-needed new connection starting this year to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. According to Czech transport website zdopravy.cz, Ukrainian carrier SkyUp has been granted permission by the Ukrainian State Aviation Commission to run seven new routes between the two countries from April 2021. As well as the Brno-Kyiv route, the company also plans to operate a new route from Ostrava. Flights to Kyiv from Brno are planned to depart twice a week.
SkyUp flights from the Czech Republic are currently suspended, but the airline wants to resume its previous lines between Prague and Kyiv, Lviv, and Kharkov from March, as well as the route from Pardubice to Kyiv. Wizz Air also began operating routes from Pardubice to Lviv and Kyiv in 2020.
The news comes at a critical moment for Brno’s airport, which was hit hard by disruption due to the coronavirus pandemic. The airport reported an 84% drop in passenger numbers for the first half of 2020, year-on-year. At the beginning of September, Brno Airport estimated its loss due to the epidemic and travel restrictions at CZK 60 to 75 million. There are currently no passenger routes using Turany, though RyanAir is planning to resume its regular connection with London Stansted in the spring.
