SkyUp to enter UK market

SkyUp is to launch flights between Kyiv Boryspil (KBP) and London Luton (LTN) this summer as the carrier continues its ambitious European expansion.

The airline will fly three times a week to the UK airport from June 24, should COVID-19 travel restrictions allow. Service will be on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

According to data provided by OAG Schedules Analyser, SkyUp joins three other carriers in serving the Ukraine-UK market this summer but will face no direct competition on the KBP-LTN route.

The latest schedules show that Ukraine International is this week (w/c April 19, 2021) serving both London Heathrow (LHR) and London Gatwick (LGW) from KBP, operating 2X-weekly and 3X-weekly respectively.

Wizz Air UK also serves Kyiv Zhuliany (IEV) and Lviv (LWO) from LTN, flying 2X-weekly and 1X-weekly respectively, while Ryanair provides a weekly flight between London Stansted (STN) and KBP. The OAG data shows that Ryanair also intends to serve STN-LWO twice a week from July 4.

Non-essential travel to and from the UK is currently banned, with a £5,000 ($6,965) fixed penalty for anyone who tries to go abroad on holiday.

However, a government document published earlier this month shows how international travel could resume from May 17 in an “accessible and affordable way.” It is expected a three-tier traffic light system for grading countries based on risk and COVID-19 restrictions will be introduced.

More SkyUp news

The new UK route is the latest in a series of services being launched by SkyUp this summer season. As reported by Routes this month, the airline plans to launch four routes between Ukraine and Albania, adding up to 11X-weekly flights to the Albanian capital Tirana.

More routes to Turkey and Cyprus will also be opened, adding flights from Kharkiv (HRK) and Zaporizhia (OZH) to Istanbul Airport (IST), and from LWO and OZH to Larnaca (LCA).

Overall, analysis of OAG data reveals that SkyUp has so far scheduled 35 new routes to launch during the northern summer 2021 season.

Photo credit: SkyUp Airlines

David Casey

David Casey is Editor in Chief of Routes, the global route development community's trusted source for news and information.