Boryspil Airport is being prepared for modernization. Korea will assist
17 February 19:10
A mission of consultants from the Korean government agency KOICA has completed its work at Boryspil International Airport. The experts have prepared the groundwork for a comprehensive modernization of the airport’s key systems. The airport will upgrade its passenger self-service systems and digital infrastructure. The project will start in 2026, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
Project management specialists from the Korea International Cooperation Agency worked in Boryspil from January 26 to February 6, 2026. The experts studied the airport’s needs in detail, assessed the technical condition of the systems, and adapted the best international solutions to Ukrainian realities — public procurement procedures, supply logistics, and service support.
The project involves the modernization of the airport’s key operational and IT systems. Among the main areas of focus are
- the introduction of Common Use Self Service (CUSS) — self-service check-in kiosks for passengers.
- Seif Bag Drop — independent baggage check-in.
- the development of digital infrastructure to improve security and scale services.
Particular attention was paid to adapting modern technical solutions to Ukrainian legislation and the market.
The project is being implemented on the basis of a trilateral agreement between Boryspil International Airport, the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine, and KOICA. The agreement defines the scope, terms, and areas of cooperation aimed at improving safety, operational stability, and passenger service quality.
In 2026, it is planned to finalize the technical documentation and start public procurement procedures. The implementation of the project will allow Boryspil to meet the highest international standards even before the full resumption of civil flights.
It was reported back in June last year that Boryspil International Airport (IA) would receive technical assistance from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in 2025-2028, including the supply of AODB/AOC information system equipment.
“During 2025-2028, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) will implement an international technical assistance project entitled ‘Modernization of Boryspil Airport for Safe, Secure, and Efficient Air Transport,'” the announcement said.
The project is funded by the Government of the Republic of Korea with the aim of improving passenger service conditions at the airport, as well as increasing civil aviation navigation safety by modernizing the activities and equipment of Boryspil International Airport, as stated in the text of the draft “Strategy for the Development of Civil Aviation and Airspace Use in Ukraine for the Period until 2030 and Approval of the Operational Plan for its Implementation in 2025-2027.”
The KOICA website also posted a tender announcement for support for the project at Boryspil Airport, inviting experts to participate in the selection of local suppliers of AODB (airport central information system) and AOC (physical or virtual airport operations control center) equipment. The total amount of the tender is $1.1 million (1.59 billion Korean won). Experts will be involved from the moment the contract is signed until 2028.
The draft civil aviation development strategy states that assistance is expected from partner countries’ airports in the form of the free transfer of vehicles and technical equipment to the balance sheet of certain Ukrainian airports.
Prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian airports increased passenger traffic by 87.2% in 2021 compared to 2020, to 16.2 million passengers, which is one-third of the 2019 figure (before the COVID pandemic). Boryspil International Airport accounted for 65% of passenger traffic. Six airports – Boryspil, Zhuliany, Lviv, Odesa, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia – served 98% of air traffic passengers in Ukraine. Postal and cargo flows at airports in 2021 increased by 21.1% to 63.2 thousand tons. Boryspil accounted for 80% of all cargo arriving at or departing from Ukrainian airports.
During 2021, passenger transportation was carried out by 16 Ukrainian airlines, with four airlines accounting for almost 93% of the total industry volume: Ukraine International Airlines, SkyUP, Azur Air, and Windrose. Biz Airline, which began operations in 2021, took fifth place.
Twenty-nine foreign airlines from 34 countries operated regular flights to Ukrainian airports. In 2021, foreign airlines carried 6.09 million passengers on international scheduled flights (70% of the total volume of regular passenger traffic between Ukraine and other countries).
As a result of the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation, a number of aviation infrastructure facilities were destroyed or damaged. Ukraine’s airspace is closed to civil aviation, which has made it impossible for airlines, airports, and air navigation service providers to operate. Seventy-five percent of aviation personnel were furloughed.
At the time of the closure of Ukraine’s airspace to civil aviation, there were 132 aircraft involved in passenger transport.
