Borispol Airport, Kiev
Borispol International Airport in Kiev is the largest airport in the Ukraine and is located roughly 30 km to the east of city. It serves as the hub for Aerosvit Airlines and Ukraine International Airlines.
All international flights to Kiev land at Borispol International Airport. Its IATA code is KBP.
Terminals
The airport currently has 4 terminals:
- Terminal A – domestic flights
- Terminal B – international flights
- Terminal C – VIP
- Terminal F – Ukrainian International Airlines
Facilities
Terminal B is currently where you are likely to arrive and depart from if you are an international passenger. It offers the entire range of facilities one would expect to find at an international airport including left luggage area, car rental desks, luggage wrapping, currency exchange, ATMs, restaurants, and more.
Arrivals
Arriving at Terminal B is generally straightforward. After being dropped off at the terminal, passport control is literally on the other side of the entrance. Queues are common at busy times so it’s a good idea to try and be first off the bus.
After passing through passport control you come straight to the baggage area. Luggage trolleys are free but sometimes a little thin on the ground. It’s just a short walk to the customs area and passing through here is usually a breeze.
Departures
Terminal B differs from many airports in that to reach the airline check-in desks, passengers must first pass through a security gate where tickets, passports and baggage are subject to a preliminary check.
After checking in and being issued with a boarding pass, passengers then pass through passport control and a further security check before reaching the duty free waiting area.
Transport
Taxis
On arrival at Kiev’s major airport you will not have any difficulty finding a taxi. There’s always a horde of drivers in the arrivals area competing for your business. A ride into Kiev should cost around 250 Hr and take 30 – 40 minutes. They will try and charge you more. Negotiate and agree a price before starting your journey.
Trains
There is currently no rail link to the airport. In September 2010 Ukraine secured a $1 billion loan from China to build a train link between Kiev and Borispol International Airport. Completion is expected by the start of the Euro 2010 football tournament.
Car Hire
Driving in Ukraine isn’t for the faint hearted but if you need to hire a car at the airport there are several international vehicle rental companies with offices here (Avis, Hertz, Europcar, and Sixt).
Buses
The cheapest way to get to and from the airport is to catch a bus. Buses travel regularly between Borispol and the train station in Kiev city centre.
The train station isn’t really near any of the major hotels, so it’s likely you’ll have to hop on the Metro or catch a taxi. Both options present problems.
Kiev’s Metro isn’t particularly great for passengers with luggage as there are no lifts. Furthermore, as virtually no signs are in English, navigating it for the first time can be tricky if you don’t know Russian or Ukrainian.
Taxi drivers at the train station tend to try and charge more than the standard rate.
Security
Valuables in suitcases have a tendency to go missing once pass into the hands of the staff at Borispol International Airport. The editor of this website has personal experience of items of great personal importance being stolen from his luggage.
Major discrepancies have been recorded between thefts reported to airlines and those registered by police. In 2007 airlines reported 11,000 luggage thefts while police registered just under 600 offences. Criminal proceedings were opened in only 9 cases.
To avoid and unpleasant start or end to a trip to Ukraine place all items of value in your hand luggage.
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