Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines suspend flights into some areas of Ukraine amid security concerns

Lufthansa has suspended flights to and from Kyiv and Odessa, Ukraine.

Michael Probst/AP

• Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa suspended flights into Kyiv and Odessa amid security concerns.
• Both airlines told Insider they will monitor the situation and decide further flights accordingly.
• CNN reported that some suspended flights will affect departures from February 21 until February 28.

Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines suspended flights into some areas of Ukraine amid security concerns.

Earlier in February, Dutch flag carrier KLM was the first major airline to announce it was suspending flights to Ukraine until further notice.

The decision comes amid growing certainty that an invasion of Ukraine by Russia is imminent. Many aircraft insurers have withdrawn their coverage for planes flying into Ukraine. 

German airline Lufthansa suspended flights to and from Kyiv and Odessa. The decision will affect all departures from February 21 until February 28, according to a statement on the company's website.

The news was reported by multiple outlets, including CNN. 

A spokesperson for Lufthansa told Insider via email: "Due to the current situation in Ukraine, Lufthansa Group airlines will suspend their regular flights to Kyiv and Odessa until the end of February for the time being." 

Affected passengers will be informed and have alternative flight connections, the spokesperson added. They will have other travel options over the weekend. 

Austrian Airlines has also suspended flights to and from Kyiv and Odessa but did not give a timeframe for those affected.

A spokesperson for the airline told Insider: "Individual special flights will be operated today to offer passengers the option of traveling from Kyiv and Odessa. Flights to Lviv continue to operate."

They added: "The safety of our passengers and employees has top priority at all times. We continue to monitor the situation closely and are in close contact with national and international authorities."

Insider's Taylor Rains reported earlier this month that some global airlines were avoiding Ukrainian airspace as the US warned of an imminent war between Russia and Ukraine. 

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