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Ukraine International Airlines^[1] has ramped up its international connections from October 1st, 2020, as it moves to return to regular service. These connections will not only open up the country to more international arrivals but reestablish essential links to international destinations in Europe and the Middle East.

What are the routes?

Several different route types are on the table from October 1st. The first are previously connected destinations such as:

• Dubai
• Cair
• Istanbul
• Tel Aviv
• Yerevan

There are also new international flights as part of this update:

• Kyiv to Brussels
• Kyiv to Dusseldorf
• Kyiv to London Gatwick
• Kyiv to Prague
• Kyiv to Baku

UIA has also opened up booking for several through-flights, with a stopover in the hub airport between various destinations. The full list can be read here.^[2][3]

The airline is now also open for passengers to travel domestically from international destinations to cities such as Livi, Odesa, Dnipro, Kherson, and Kharkiv.

Why has UIA reopened destinations?

Part of the main reasons why UIA has returned to these cities is that the government of Ukraine has decided to lift restrictions on foreign visitor arrivals at the end of this month. Not only does this mean tourists and business opportunities, but also that through-passengers can now pass through Kyiv in transit.

For passengers in Baku and other central Asian countries with less airline competition, UIA can now corner the market and resume a lucrative revenue opportunity.

“One of the immediate benefits is the convenient connections from key international cities to Ukraine and to Europe and the Middle East. These new schedule additions have been made with the full realization of the current pandemic impacting travel throughout the world and Ukraine’s recent restrictions on welcoming foreign travelers” – UIA in its press release regarding the news.