The Ukrainian aviation industry today finds itself in a unique position: on the one hand, there are examples of resilience and global recognition, and on the other hand, there are large-scale problems: closed skies, loss of infrastructure, shortage of spare parts, and lack of government support.

Symbols of resilience. Antonov Airlines, even with the loss of Mriya and the closed Ukrainian skies, has operated more than 260 flights with critical civilian and military cargo. The company received an international award from The Heavy Lift Group, confirming Ukraine's reputation as a country with unique competence in the transportation of super-heavy and oversized cargo. This is a clear proof that the Ukrainian engineering school is not only alive but also competitive on a global scale .

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Personnel and the Future. For a long time, Ukrainian engineering in general was characterized by a problem: young people chose IT or business over aviation or technical specialties. But recent years have shown an interesting shift: The Kyiv Aviation Institute has seen an increase in demand, accounting for 75% of all applications for aviation. This shows that teenagers have once again believed in the industry's prospects. If the government and business support this trend by investing in training and internships, we can lay the foundation for the aviation industry to recover after the victory.

War and Systemic Challenges. The full-scale invasion effectively halted passenger aviation, destroyed infrastructure, and severed production chains. Today, Ukrainian airlines are operating in three scenarios: those that have moved abroad, those that have suspended operations, and those that have completely closed. The biggest challenge is spare parts: aircraft are repaired using old stocks, and without import substitution, a significant part of the fleet risks losing its airworthiness in a few years. This is especially critical for MI-8 helicopters, which are the main vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Lost government support. Until 2025, the industry had tax and customs benefits that allowed Ukraine to develop new aircraft (An-178), modernize equipment, and push Russians out of the market. The abolition of these preferences, according to market players, led to a 25-40% increase in product prices, the loss of investment programs, and a halt to research.

And here we need to make a digression. In the EU, state aid to enterprises is strictly limited. If Ukraine is moving toward membership, uncontrolled benefits in the style of "taxing an entire industry" will not work.

Instead, the European approach is based on targeted programs, joint research and development projects (e.g., Horizon Europe), cheap loans for innovation, and government orders in the defense sector. These are the tools that Ukraine should adapt, rather than reproduce the old model of "tax holidays.".

International market as a chance. Despite everything, Ukrainian companies are holding their ground. "Constanta Airlines has become the world's largest operator of An-26 aircraft, flying humanitarian missions for the UN. Ukraine has pushed Russians out of 43% of this market. This speaks not only to the political factor, but also to the real competitiveness of Ukrainian aviators.

Import Substitution. A critical issue is spare parts; many airplanes and helicopters still depend on Russian-made components dating back to the Soviet era. If they are not replaced with Ukrainian or Western counterparts in 2-3 years, part of the fleet will simply fall to the ground. This will hit not only business but also defense capabilities. A systemic government program is probably needed here – not "money for everything," but specific funding for import substitution of key components.

Ukrainian aviation is a business, an element of defense capability, a symbol of technological statehood, and potentially a driver of recovery after the war. But a systematic import substitution program and investment in human resources are needed. Every Ukrainian airplane or helicopter operating in international markets is not only a source of foreign exchange earnings, but also a signal that Ukraine remains a high-tech country.

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