Airlines Cancel Routes, Ukrainian Government Announces "Flight Safety Assurance Fund" Establishment

Lufthansa, KLM Suspend Ukraine Routes
Netherlands Issues Flight Warning for Entire Ukraine Region

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] As the possibility of Russia invading Ukraine intensifies, international airlines have been canceling and reducing their Ukraine routes one after another, prompting the Ukrainian government to announce the establishment of a safety assurance fund for flights over its airspace.

On the 13th (local time), Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated at a press conference, "We have allocated a safety assurance fund worth $592 million (approximately 710 billion KRW) to ensure the safety of flights to and from Ukraine," adding, "This fund will be used to support airlines' insurance premiums and other costs, stabilize the aviation market situation, and guarantee the return of Ukrainian citizens."

This measure is interpreted as a response to the airlines' successive cancellations and reductions of Ukraine routes. Previously, a passenger plane belonging to Ukraine's low-cost carrier 'SkyUp' suddenly changed its flight path and landed in Moldova while en route from Madeira, Portugal, to Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, further escalating the controversy. SkyUp explained, "The Irish company that leased the aircraft suddenly prohibited entry into Ukrainian airspace."

Earlier, Dutch airline KLM announced plans to suspend its Ukraine routes starting from the 12th, becoming the first Western airline to do so. KLM stated that this was due to the Dutch government's issuance of an emergency travel advisory for the entire territory of Ukraine. Following this, German Lufthansa also announced it is considering suspending its Ukraine routes, and a series of route suspension announcements are expected to follow.

In particular, the Dutch government is reacting sensitively, as during Russia's invasion of the Crimean Peninsula in July 2014, a plane was shot down over eastern Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of 198 Dutch nationals. KLM also drew a clear line in a statement, saying, "There will be no flights passing through Ukrainian airspace until further government notice."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.