LOT Polish Airlines plans return to Ukraine with flights to Kyiv and Lviv

Poland’s largest airline, LOT, has announced plans to resume flights to Ukraine just weeks after peace is restored and the country’s airspace is deemed safe for civil aviation.

In what would mark a major step toward re-establishing Ukraine’s international air links, LOT says it is ready to launch regular passenger services to Kyiv and Lviv within six weeks of the end of hostilities. Both cities were key markets for the carrier prior to the full-scale invasion in 2022.

According to industry sources cited by Avianews, the airline is already drawing up an ambitious roadmap to reconnect Ukraine with the rest of Europe. Future phases of the plan could see LOT expand into regional Ukrainian airports, depending on infrastructure recovery and regulatory approval.

To serve the initial routes, the airline plans to deploy four Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets, each capable of carrying 186 passengers. LOT estimates the total annual traffic between Ukraine and Poland could reach 800,000 passengers, driven largely by the Ukrainian diaspora currently living and working in Poland.

The move comes amid growing momentum in the aviation sector to prepare for a postwar reopening of Ukrainian skies. Both Lviv and Uzhhorod airports have been flagged as potential early reopening sites, while Boryspil Airport, near Kyiv, has stated it could be ready to resume commercial operations within a month of airspace clearance.

Earlier this year, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said the Irish low-cost carrier was also developing plans for a rapid return to the Ukrainian market.

LOT’s announcement reflects wider optimism that international air connectivity could return swiftly once security conditions allow—a critical development for Ukraine’s economic recovery and reintegration into global travel networks.