The Irish airline Ryanair is hiring a significant number of Ukrainian pilots and flight attendants to be ready to return to the country when the war with Russia ends.

 This was stated by the CEO of the company, Michael O'Leary, writes Reuters.

 "We are very keen to return to Ukraine as soon as it is safe to do so," said O'Leary, who said before the war that he was considering basing up to 20 aircraft in the country.

 "We are hiring quite a few Ukrainian pilots and flight attendants specifically so that we can ... reestablish bases in Ukraine if and when it is safe to do so," O'Leary told analysts after the release of third-quarter financial results.

 Last year, O'Leary said the company would no longer offer low-cost flights because of soaring fuel costs.

 According to him, the era of tickets for 10 euros is over. The airline's average fare will rise from around €40 last year to around €50 over the next five years.

 On New Year's Eve, due to a strike by Belgian pilots and flight attendants, Ryanair had to cancel dozens of flights for the New Year's weekend, for which thousands of passengers had bought tickets.