Ukraine cannot make significant progress on implementation of the provisions of the "Open Skies" agreement at a particular airport, such as the Lvov airport, in the absence of an agreement to that effect between the European Union and Ukraine. The Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported this, citing a senior European official familiar with the negotiations.

"It is necessary to have a general agreement stating that each aviation operator has the right to perform flights in unlimited numbers and to any destination," the official told the news agency.

According to him, airlines will continue to be forced to sign bilateral agreements and obtain rights to perform flights until such an agreement is signed.

The official did not comment on Ukraine’s statements about the Lvov airport. "Maybe the authorities wanted the airport to take advantage of the extra possibilities," he said.

Infrastructure Minister Andrii Pyvovarskyi recently said that the Lvov airport was beginning operations based on the principles of the "open skies" agreement. The Common Aviation Area agreement (the Open Skies agreement) in the European Union stipulates that any airline from a European Union country will be able to obtain the right to operate flights, including domestic flights, to any destination in participating countries. Ukraine and the European Union have not yet signed the agreement.