Local authorities are evaluating the possibility of restoring and relaunching the Zhytomyr International Airport, which was inactive from 1990 to 2014 before some minor operations were restored, according to Olena Shulyak, head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Regional Development.
The airport could provide competition for the Boryspil and Zhulyany international airports by offering favorable conditions for low-cost airlines, while also potentially becoming a hub for air cargo transportation. Once operational, the Zhytomyr International Airport will be capable of accommodating Airbus 320 aircraft, allowing it to serve over 300,000 passengers each year and handle 5,000 tons of cargo.
The investment needed to relaunch the airport is estimated at around $20M, and local authorities recognize the potential to secure these funds from various sources, including the Ukraine Facility program and other EU initiatives; assistance and funding from the US and other countries; support from the World Bank, EBRD, and IMF; the Fund for the Restoration of Property and Destroyed Infrastructure; and investment from both domestic and international businesses.