--- title: "Without Their Own Airports: How Ukrainians Have Restructured Tourist Routes Through Moldova, Poland, and Romania" description: "Ukrainian tourists have restructured their usual routes over the years of war: according to Join UP!, Chisinau became the leader in departures with more than 237,000 passengers, while Rzeszów followed with 50,000." date: 2026-08-20T13:52:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukrainians-fly-through-airports-of-neighboring-countries-en tags: [ukraine-travel, airport-logistics, moldova, poland, romania, tourism, chisinau, zeszew] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Without Their Own Airports: How Ukrainians Have Restructured Tourist Routes Through Moldova, Poland, and Romania ![Traveler with passport and suitcase at airport departure board: Ukrainians rebuild tourist routes through Moldova, Poland and Romania](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/21/ukraintsi-letyat-cherez-aeroporty-sosednih-stran/ukraintsi-letyat-cherez-aeroporty-sosednih-stran-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Ukrainian tourists are increasingly flying on vacation through the airports of Moldova, Poland, and Romania, bypassing their own airports. - According to internal statistics from Join UP!, last year the Chisinau airport served more than 237,000 Ukrainian tourists, while Rzeszów served more than 50,000. - The choice of airport is determined not only by distance, but also by travel time, route predictability, cost, and the situation at the border. Over the years of full-scale war, Ukrainian travelers have effectively mastered a new vacation scenario — trips without using domestic airports. According to Irina Mosulezna, Head of Join UP! Ukraine, in an exclusive comment for Wave RBC.UA, the standard solution has become flying out through the airports of neighboring countries, primarily Moldova, Poland, and Romania. A stable infrastructure for cross-border tourism is forming, where the choice of departure point is determined not so much by distance, but by a combination of logistical factors. ### Chisinau — The Main Hub for Ukrainian Tourists According to internal statistics from Join UP!, the leader in the number of Ukrainian passengers last year was the Chisinau airport, which was used by more than 237,000 tourists. Mosulezna explains this popularity primarily through logistics: for residents of central, southern, and eastern regions of Ukraine, as well as partially Kyiv, the road to Moldova turns out to be shorter and more predictable than a long route across the entire country to the Polish border. "The advantage of Chisinau airport is relatively convenient logistics and usually faster border crossing compared to some other directions," she noted. ### Rzeszów and Polish Airports for Western Regions In second place in popularity is the Polish airport of Rzeszów, which was used by more than 50,000 Ukrainian travelers during the same period. For residents of western regions — in particular Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk — Polish airports remain a convenient option due to their proximity to the border. At the same time, Ukrainians do not limit themselves to just Rzeszów: the list of popular destinations includes the airports of Warsaw, Katowice, and other Polish cities. ### Romania and Other Regional Directions The list of departure points also includes Bucharest and a number of other major and regional airports of neighboring countries. Thus, Ukrainian tourists have formed an extensive network of alternative routes, allowing them to bypass closed or inconvenient domestic air hubs. However, there is no single universal route: the specific choice depends on the region of residence, the chosen tour, the cost of the trip, the date of departure, transfer opportunities, and the current situation at the border. ### How the Approach to Route Selection Has Changed According to Mosulezna's assessment, the general approach of Ukrainian tourists has qualitatively changed over the last few years. If the key criterion used to be the distance to the airport, today travelers compare several parameters simultaneously: travel time, route predictability, and the total cost of the trip. This is why the leadership of Chisinau, despite the fact that it is not the nearest airport for all regions, is explained not by geography, but by a combination of logistical advantages and the stability of border crossing. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Moldova, Poland, or Romania: From which airports do Ukrainians fly most often](https://wave.rbc.ua/ukr/trips/moldova-polshcha-chi-rumuniya-zvidki-ukrayintsi-1787231816.html) - Единственный источник — эксклюзивное интервью главы Join UP! Украины Ирины Мосулезной. Цифры (237 тыс. и 50 тыс. пассажиров) основаны на внутренней статистике Join UP!, независимого подтверждения нет. Противоречий между версиями в источнике не выявлено. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Which airport of neighboring countries do Ukrainian tourists use most often? **A:** According to internal statistics from Join UP!, the leader last year was the Chisinau airport, which was used by more than 237,000 Ukrainian tourists. Its popularity is explained by convenient logistics and a relatively fast border crossing. ### Q: Why do Ukrainians choose to fly through neighboring countries? **A:** Due to the war, familiar domestic airports have become less accessible, so tourists fly through Moldova, Poland, and Romania. The choice of a specific point depends on the region of residence, cost, date of departure, transfer, and the situation at the border. ### Q: Which Polish airports are popular with Ukrainian travelers? **A:** In second place in popularity is Rzeszów (more than 50,000 passengers according to Join UP!), and the airports of Warsaw, Katowice, and other Polish cities are also used, which is especially convenient for residents of western regions of Ukraine.