Rada Ratifies Agreement With EU On Common Airspace

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has ratified the agreement with the European Union on common airspace.

A total of 311 parliamentary members backed the respective bill 0144 when 226 votes were enough to pass the decision, the Ukrainian News Agency reports.

According to the document, the purpose of the agreement is the gradual creation of common airspace between Ukraine and the EU and its member states, based, in particular, on identical rules in the field of flight safety, aviation security, air traffic management, environmental protection, consumer protection, computer reservation systems, as well as on identical rules regarding social aspects.

Therefore, the agreement establishes binding rules, technical requirements, administrative procedures, basic operating standards and implementing rules.

It is noted that the specified common airspace functions on the basis of free access to the air transportation market and on equal terms of competition.

The Committee on Ukraine's integration into the EU at a meeting on February 9 recommended the parliament ratify this agreement.

The Committee notes that this agreement, in particular, will help remove the monopoly on certain air routes established by bilateral agreements, as well as facilitate the opening of new routes between Ukrainian and European cities and, as a result, will reduce ticket prices.

All EU airlines will be able to operate direct flights from anywhere in the EU to any airport in Ukraine and vice versa.

As part of the Ukraine-EU summit in Kyiv on October 12, 2021, an agreement on common airspace was signed by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice President of the European Commission Josep Borrell.

As Ukrainian News Agency reported, on February 10, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed to the Rada to ratify the agreement with the European Union on a common aviation space.

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