Lufthansa Group to suspend Kyiv, Odessa flights

Lufthansa planes are seen parked on the tarmac of Frankfurt Airport, Germany June 25, 2020.

Kai Pfaffenbach | Reuters

Lufthansa Group said it would suspend service to Kyiv and Odessa, starting Monday, as concerns grew over whether Russia would invade Ukraine.

“The safety of our passengers and crew members is our top priority at all times,” the airline group said in a statement on Saturday. “Lufthansa continues to monitor the situation closely and is in close contact with national and international authorities.”

Lufthansa also owns Austrian, Swiss and Eurowings. Swiss will also suspend service to Kyiv starting Monday through at least Feb. 28. The airline does not fly over Ukraine to reach other destinations, a spokesman said.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines suspended Ukraine flights last week.

Ukrainian International Airlines had said it would need to send five of its planes to Spain after a dispute over insurance coverage, but later said it was operating its flights as scheduled.

Another Ukrainian carrier, SkyUp Airlines, said one of itsĀ Ukraine-bound flights from the Portuguese Island of Madeira was forced to land in Moldova last weekend after the company that leases its jets said the carrier couldn’t enter Ukrainian airspace.

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/19/lufthansa-group-to-suspend-kyiv-odessa-flights.html