Boryspil International Airport in Kyiv, Ukraine, is preparing for the day when it can reopen after Russia’s February 2022 invasion shuttered the facility.
The airport announced Nov. 16 that it signed a memorandum of understanding with AECOM to serve as its reconstruction delivery partner. Days earlier, it signed another agreement with South Korean contractor Hyundai Engineering & Construction Corp. and airport operator Korea Airports Corp. to collaborate on restoration and modernization projects.
The airport, which is Ukraine’s largest and served 9.5 million passengers in 2021, shared few details about the agreements. AECOM said in a statement that it will provide infrastructure advisory support including assessments, design, engineering, program management and construction management for reconstruction projects at Boryspil. The firm, which exited all work in Russia following its invasion, also is an infrastructure delivery advisor for reconstruction efforts in Ukraine.
The partnership is planned to help restore Ukraine’s aviation sector and support the flow of critical resources and investment to boost its recovery, said Troy Rudd, CEO of AECOM, in a statement.
English-language South Korean newspaper Korea JoongAng Daily reported the price of the three-way deal with Hyundai E&C and Korean Airports Corp. at $983 million. Hyundai E&C will handle design, procurement and construction for reconstruction and expansion of a terminal and runway at Boryspil, while Korean Airports will provide consulting, safety equipment and other assistance, according to the report.
Oleksiy Dubrevskyy, Boryspil’s director, told Politico in an interview last month that the airport has already made some repairs and could be ready to reopen as soon as one month after the war ends.
Ramesh Rajasingham, a humanitarian affairs official with the United Nations, said in remarks last month that more than 9,900 civilians have been killed in the war. There also has been widespread damage to homes, schools, hospitals and other essential infrastructure.
Earlier this year, the World Bank estimated the cost of Ukraine reconstruction and recovery at $411 billion over 10 years. As of last month, it said more than $28 billion had been disbursed to assist the effort, but the country was still facing a 2023 funding gap of billions of dollars.