Lviv

Lviv, is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main

cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Jewish and Polish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city till the outbreak of World War II and the following Holocaust and Soviet population transfers. The historical heart of Lviv with its old buildings and cobblestone roads has survived World War II and ensuing Soviet presence largely unscathed. The city has many industries and institutions of higher education such as the Lviv University and the Lviv Polytechnic. Lviv is also a home to many world-class cultural institutions, including a philharmonic orchestra and the famous Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet. The historic city centre is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Lviv celebrated its 750th anniversary with a son et lumière in the city centre in September 2006.

Lviv was founded in 1256 in Red Ruthenia by King Danylo Halytskyi of the Ruthenian principality of Halych-Volhynia, and named in honour of his son, Lev. Together with the rest of Red Ruthenia, Lviv was captured by the Kingdom of Poland in 1349 during the reign of Polish king Casimir III the Great. Lviv belonged to the Kingdom of Poland 1349–1569, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth 1569–1772, the Austrian Empire 1772–1918 and the Second Polish Republic 1918–1939. With the Invasion of Poland at the outbreak of the second World War, the city of Lviv with adjacent land were annexed and incorporated into the Soviet Union, becoming part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic from 1939 to 1941. Between July 1941 and July 1944 Lviv was under German occupation and was located in the General Government. In July 1944 it was captured by the Soviet Red Army and the Polish Home Army. According to the agreements of the Yalta Conference, Lviv was again integrated into the Ukrainian SSR.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the city remained a part of the now independent Ukraine, for which it currently serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast, and is designated as its own raion (district) within that oblast.

On 12 June 2009 the Ukrainian magazine Focus assessed Lviv as the best Ukrainian city to live in.

Zaporizhia International Airport

Zaporizhia International Airport (IATA: OZH, ICAO: UKDE) (Ukrainian Міжнародний аеропорт Запоріжжя) is the international airport that serves Zaporizhia, Ukraine one of three airfields around the city. The aircraft engine factory Motor Sich has its base here.

Ivano-Frankivsk International Airport

Ivano-Frankivsk International Airport, Ukrainian Міжнародний аеропорт Івано-Франківськ (IATA: IFO, ICAO: UKLI) is an airport bordering Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, some 4.4 km (2.7 mi) by road from the town center. Ivano-Frankivsk airport is an international airport with frontier and customs control since 1992. The airport traffic capacity is claimed to be 400 passengers per hour.

A second concrete runway, 6,325 ft (1,928 m) long, is now used by the military as a parking lot, and a large apron (located northwest of the civilian terminal) is still in use by the Ukrainian Air Force (Військово-Повітряні Сили України).

Officials have made efforts in the past to promote the airport and its relative proximity to the Bukovel ski area, Vorokhta and the Carpathian National Nature Park, and other quiet, spectacular mountain environments.

Kiev Zhuliany Airport

Kiev (Zhuliany) International Airport (Ukrainian: Міжнародний аеропорт "Київ" (Жуляни)) (IATA: IEV, ICAO: UKKK) is one of the two passenger airports of the Ukrainian capital Kiev. It is located in the Zhuliany neighbourhood in the south of the city.

Although the original airport, it is not the main airport serving Kiev. In the 1960s the larger Boryspil International Airport was built near the city of Boryspil. Since that time the old "Kiev" airport became commonly known just as "Zhuliany" (or Kiev-Zhuliany), while it still keeps the official "Kiev" name.

In Soviet times Kiev-Zhuliany was used for domestic flights only. After independence it began receiving some international flights from nearby countries. Surrounded by major railways, highways and residential districts, the airport has no possibility for expansion and is limited in types and MTOW of aircraft, certificated to operate there.

The airport features a major aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul company, ARP-410. On September 2003 some of its territory was handed over to create Ukraine State Aviation Museum which presently is the largest aviation museum in Ukraine, exhibiting some unique Soviet examples including original prototypes for famous airliners.

On January 14, 2011, WizzAir announced that it will be moving all its operations to 'Zhulyany' from Kiev's larger Boryspil Airport.

Railway connection

The airport's passenger terminal is located about 0.5 km away from the Kyiv-Volynskyi rail station - a stop for elektrichka commuter trains as well as for the planned "Urban Electric Train" service.

Future Metro connection

Plans for the Podilsko-Vyhurivska Line, which is now under construction elsewhere in the city, include the Airport transfer station form the 'Zhulyany' Airport. The station is expected to be constructed until 2020.

Kharkiv International Airport

Kharkiv International Airport (Ukrainian: Міжнародний аеропорт "Харків"), (IATA: HRK, ICAO: UKHH) is an airport located in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

The airport is the main airfield serving the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city. Located to the south-east of the centre, in the city's Kominternovskij district. The main terminal at Kharkiv was built in the 1950s in a socialist neo-classical style favoured by Joseph Stalin; to this day, this is still the main international and domestic terminal at the airport. However, with the awarding of Euro 2012 to Poland and Ukraine, Kharkiv International has built a new modern international terminal in order to comply with UEFA regulations.

Kharkiv International Airport is well served by municipal transport and is connected to the city's wider network of roads and railways via Aeroflotska Street and the M03 national trunk road. The following bus lines procide public transport between the airport and the city of Kharkiv:

Trolleybus 5 - Airport - Universitetska Street (transfer for metro - Prospekt Gagarina)

119 - Airport - Prospekt Pobedy (transfer for metro - Prospekt Gagarina)

152 - Airport - 552nd Mikrorajon (transfer for metro - Akademika Barabashova)

225 - Airport - Metro 'Akademika Barabashova' (transfer for metro - Akademika Barabashova)

The airport also has a number of car rental offices and a large, secure, pay parking area.

Dnipropetrovsk International Airport

Dnipropetrovsk International Airport (Ukrainian: Міжнародний аеропорт "Дніпропетровськ"; Russian: Международный аэропорт "Днепропетровск") (IATA: DNK, ICAO: UKDD) is an airport located 15 kilometres (8 NM) southeast from the city center of Dnipropetrovsk in Ukraine.

As of 2011 the airport's owners have initiated a program to develop a new terminal complex at Dnipropetrovsk International. This project will see the construction of a large new international terminal, similar in specifications to the newly-built terminal at Kharkiv International Airport. It is believed that once constructed, Dniproavia and all other international airlines will use the new terminal, whilst domestic and charter carriers will use the 1960s terminal which currently serves as the airport's only passenger handling facility.

Lviv International Airport

Lviv International Airport (Ukrainian: Міжнародний аеропорт "Львів") (IATA: LWO, ICAO: UKLL) is an airport in Lviv, Ukraine. In 2007, the airport carried 147,700 passengers. The airport is located 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from downtown Lviv. Facilities at the airport include a café and shop as well as bus services to the city.

It was previously known as the Sknyliv airfield. It was the site of the deadly Sknyliv airshow disaster in 2002.

In preparation for Euro 2012, Lviv International Airport is to undergo a $200m expansion project. Of the $200m, it is expected that the Ukrainian government will provide $70m, including $14m in 2008, and $130m will come from private investors. The expansion project will include a 700 metre extension of the existing runway and a new airport terminal capable of handling up to 1,220 passengers per hour (5.69 million annually).

To accommodate this, restrictions have been put into place:

1. The runway will be temporarily shortened, resulting in difficulties for Turkish Airlines' A319 jets and Lufthansa's CRJ's. Lufthansa has switched Summer 2011 flights to ARJ85 jets to compensate. LOT has downgraded the Embraer 175 and Boeing 737-500 jets they planned to fly to Lviv to ATR 42-500 aircraft. Turkish Airlines has not commented.

2. The airport will be closed on Tuesdays to permit expansion. All airlines excluding Dniproavia have cancelled tuesday flights to Lviv.

3. This is considered a driving force behind Wizz air Ukraine's leaving Lviv- their A320 jets cannot take off from the shortened runway. This, along with their transfer to Kiev Airport from Boryspil, has caused them to re-examine their options.

Donetsk International Airport

Donetsk International Airport (Ukrainian: Міжнародний аеропорт "Донецьк") (IATA: DOK, ICAO: UKCC) is an airport in Donetsk, Ukraine. It was built in the 1940s-1950s and rebuilt in 1973.

Aerosvit Airlines İstanbul-Ataturk, Kiev-Boryspil, Moscow-Sheremetyevo, Tel Aviv
Armavia Yerevan
Austrian Airlines Vienna
Czech Airlines Prague [begins 25 April]
Dniproavia Ivano-Frankivsk
Georgian Airways Batumi
LOT Polish Airlines Warsaw [begins 4 June]
Lufthansa Regional operated by Lufthansa CityLine Munich
TAM Air Tbilisi
Transaero Airlines Moscow-Domodedovo
Turkish Airlines İstanbul-Ataturk
Ukraine International Airlines Kiev-Boryspil
UTair Aviation Moscow-Vnukovo, Surgut

Odessa International Airport

Odesa International Airport (Ukrainian: Міжнародний аеропорт Одеса) (IATA: ODS, ICAO: UKOO) is an airport located 7 km (4.3 mi) southwest from the centre of Odessa, Ukraine, sometimes called "Odesa Central" (Одеса Центральний).

It serves both domestic and international flights. Airport's runways either were or are co-used by the Ukrainian Air Force.

The airport was built in 1961.

In 2009, the airport served 651,000 passengers.

In May 2007, the airport started construction work that includes extending the main runway.

The airport has ILS CAT I status.

Simferopol International Airport

Simferopol International Airport (Ukrainian: Міжнародний аеропорт "Сімферополь"; Russian: Международный аэропорт "Симферополь") (IATA: SIP, ICAO: UKFF) is airport in Simferopol, Ukraine. It was built in 1936.

Aeroflot Moscow-Sheremetyevo
Aerosvit Airlines Istanbul-Atatürk, Moscow-Sheremetyevo, Moscow-Vnukovo [begins 1 June]
Seasonal: Tel Aviv
AirBaltic Riga
Armavia Yerevan
Avianova Moscow-Sheremetyevo [begins 15 June]
Azerbaijan Airlines Baku [begins 16 May]
Dniproavia Kiev-Boryspil
Kavminvodyavia Moscow-Vnukovo
Khors Aircompany Kiev-Zhulyany
Kogalymavia Surgut
Mars RK Kiev-Zhulyany
Nordavia Moscow-Sheremetyevo
Rossiya St. Petersburg
S7 Airlines Moscow-Domodedovo, Novosibirsk
Transaero Airlines Moscow-Domodedovo
Turkish Airlines Istanbul-Atatürk
Ukraine International Airlines Kiev-Boryspol
Seasonal: Frankfurt
Ural Airlines Yekaterinburg
UTair Aviation Moscow-Vnukovo
Uzbekistan Airways Samarkand, Tashkent
Wind Rose Aviation Lvov
Wizz Air Ukraine Kiev-Zhuliany

Ukraine

Ukraine's history began with the Kievan Rus', the precursor to the East Slavs. From the 9th century the Kievan Rus' became a large and powerful nation but disintegrated in the 12th century. Ukraine was the center of the medieval living area of the East Slavs. After the Great Northern War (1700–1721) Ukraine was divided between a number of regional powers and, by the 19th century, the largest part of Ukraine was integrated into the Russian Empire with the rest under Austro-Hungarian control. After a chaotic period of incessant warfare and several attempts at independence (1917–21) following World War I and the Russian Civil War, it emerged on December 30, 1922 as one of the founding republics of the Soviet Union. The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic's territory was enlarged westward shortly before and after World War II, and southwards in 1954 with the Crimea transfer. In 1945, the Ukrainian SSR became one of the founding members of the United Nations.

Ukraine became independent again after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Herewith began a period of transition to a market economy, in which Ukraine was stricken with an eight-year recession.Since then though, the economy experienced a high increase in GDP growth. Ukraine was caught up in the worldwide economic crisis in 2008 and the economy plunged. GDP fell 20% from spring 2008 to spring 2009, then leveled off as analysts compared the magnitude of the downturn to the worst years of economic depression during the early 1990s.

Ukraine is a unitary state composed of 24 oblasts (provinces), one autonomous republic (Crimea), and two cities with special status: Kiev, its capital and largest city, and Sevastopol, which houses the Russian Black Sea Fleet under a leasing agreement. Ukraine is a republic under a semi-presidential system with separate legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Ukraine continues to maintain the second largest military in Europe, after that of Russia. The country is home to 46 million people, 77.8 percent of whom are ethnic Ukrainians, with sizable minorities of Russians (17%), Belarusians and Romanians. The Ukrainian language is the official language in Ukraine. Russian is also widely spoken. The dominant religion in the country is Eastern Orthodox Christianity, which has heavily influenced Ukrainian architecture, literature and music.