Aecom has signed a memorandum of understanding with Ukraine’s biggest airport to serve as its reconstruction delivery partner.

Boryspil International near Kyiv is still closed amid Russia’s invasion, and was bombed at its outset in February 2022.

But its operator has begun planning for the reopening of commercial aviation in the country when the war ends.

As GCR reported yesterday, Boryspil earlier signed MoUs with Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Korea Airports Corporation to modernise Boryspil.

It handled nearly 9.5 million passengers a year before Russia invaded.

In July, Ryanair pledged to invest $3bn in rebuilding Ukraine’s aviation sector once the war ends.

Responding to that, the airport’s chief executive Oleksiy Dubrevskyy said: “I strongly believe that Boryspil Airport will remain the main air gate for the return of our citizens to Ukraine and will continue to play a leading role in the recovery of the Ukrainian economy.”

Aecom said it will assess asset condition and capability and provide design, engineering, programme and construction management.

It said it will also develop Ukraine’s programme management capacity for rebuilding other airports destroyed in the war.

In June, Aecom signed a memorandum of understanding with Ukraine’s Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development to be delivery partner for the country’s broader reconstruction.

Airport boss Dubrevskyy said the Aecom MoU “marks a significant milestone for the restoration of Ukraine’s aviation sector and is part of a global plan for the restoration and modernization of national airports developed under the guidance of the Ministry of Community Development, Territories, and Infrastructure of Ukraine”.