Ryanair expands eastwards – after closing routes in Romania the Irish low-cost enters Ukraine with 15 flights

Ryanair will open no less than 15 flights from the Ukrainian cities of Kiev and Lviv. Ryanair’s operation in Ukraine has announced also last year, but the Irish low-cost carrier withdrew planned operations with a weird statement.

However, flights in Ukraine by Ryanair will be launched as follows:

Kiev – London Stansted
Kiev – Stockholm Skavsta
Kiev – Vilnius
Kiev – Wroclaw
Kiev – Barcelona
Kiev – Warsaw Modlin
Kiev – Gdansk
Kiev – Krakow
Kiev – Poznan
Kiev – Bratislava
Lviv – London Stansted
Lviv – Warsaw Modlin
Lviv – Memmingen
Lviv – Dusseldorf Weeze
Lviv – Krakow

Most of these routes are already operated by Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air, so seems like Ryanair decided to battle the Hungarian low-cost carrier in Ukraine, rather than Romania, where the Irish carrier dogged away from a fight with Wizz Air.

Besides competing with Wizz Air, Ryanair can expect heavy competition from Ukraine International Airlines in the country.

Ryanair exited lots of Romanian routes, with its closure of Timisoara base and also planned withdrawal of flights from Oradea and Craiova in the winter season. However, it opened some interesting bases in Paphos (Cyprus) and Amman (Jordan), also announcing first flights to Turkey, from Dublin and Bratislava to Dalaman.

I would say it is to be seen how long these flights from Ukraine will last as they are currently told. I would not count on these flights even after they eventually depart based on Ryanairs tendency to abandon immediately routes when they find something more profitable elsewhere.