Kharkov is served by an international airport (HRK Osnova) which used to have about 20 flights a day, almost all of them being passenger flights. The Kharkiv Osnova International Airport was only recently granted international status. The airport itself is not big and is situated within the city boundaries, south from the city centre. Flights to Kiev and Moscow are available on a daily basis. There are regular flights to Vienna, Kiev, Moscow and several other destinations.

International Airport Kharkiv – is one of the most important enterprises of the capital of Slobozhanshchyna region of Ukraine, which is currently subject to reconstruction as a part of preparations for the final games of the UEFA European cup in 2012.

«International Airport Kharkov» that was formerly called «Airport Kharkov», was opened on the 6th of December of 1932 when the construction of aerodrome «Osnova» and its service building had been finally completed. In August, 1933, the day of celebration of the 10th anniversary of Ukrainian civil aviation, the airport was called after Pavel Petrovich Postishev. In 1936, Airport Kharkov was recognized as the best airport of the country. In pre-war period the airport was developed to an independent self-supporting unit subordinated to the Principal directorate of civil aviation. The air routes directed to the Crimea and the Caucasus are passing through this airport. The giant with 6 engines – P-124 was the first-rate passenger aircraft regarding to that period that was bound to Airport Mineral waters and had landed in Kharkov. For the last years the airport working-staff has been successfully servicing many types of the aircrafts, has gained the great experience and has made an important contribution to the development of Ukrainian civil aviation. In 1941 the concrete runway in the airdrome was built. Since the beginning of the Great Patriotic War the airport personnel has entered the Kiev and the Kharkov special aviation groups of Civil Aviation. In July, 1954 there was commissioned a new airport building, and in 1995 airport was reconstructed.

«International Airport Kharkov» is registered in International organization ICAO, and operates the air traffic control and navigation newest systems. The airport has runway with length of 2200 metres that allows servicing of take-off-landing for many types of aircrafts. The airport has all necessary offices for servicing the international flights. Furthermore, the airport occupies profitable geografical location. There are air routes from the countries of the Western Europe to the Southern part of Russia with following exit to The Middle Asia and China. There are also air routes to The Near East, Yugoslavia, Africa passing through this airport. Today aircrafts fly from Kharkov to Kiev, Moscow, Vienna, Istanbul, Yerevan, and countries of Near Abroad and Far Abroad.

In 1926, on the basis of aviaworkshop “Ukrvozduhputi” there was organized Council of Peoples Commissars USSR aircraft factory. The development of aircraft production in Sokolniki required the transfer of the civil airport. The place for it was chosen in 12 kilometres south of the city centre, beyond the village Osnova. The new airport came into operation on December 6, 1932. It included a dirt runway, a two-storey terminal building and other land-mobile services. In August 1933 the airport was named after P.P. Postyshev, and in 1936 the airport was acknowledged as the best in the USSR. In the pre-war years transit flights from Moscow and Leningrad to the Crimea and the Caucasus landed in the Kharkov airport. Here landed the largest passenger airplane of those years, sixengined giant P-124 (ANT-20bis), which carried flights Moscow-Kharkov-Mineral Waters. The airport was a self-sustained unit, reporting directly to the General Civil Aviation Office. In 1941 a concrete runway was built in the airfield. With the start of the Great Patriotic War the personnel of the airport became a part of Kiev and Kharkov special air groups of Civil Air Fleet.

The existing terminal was built in the post-war years according to a model project developed by the Moscow Research Institute “Aeroproject” in 1951 (architect G. Elkin, G. Kryukov , G. Mitkevich). This same project was applied in Lvov, Sverdlovsk (now – Yekaterinburg), Chelyabinsk and other cities of the USSR. Construction of the terminal began in 1951, and its opening was timed to the pompous celebration of the 300 anniversary of the reunification of Ukraine and Russia (1954). In 1958 a trolleybus line to the airport was laid from the city centre.

Start to this large-scale reconstruction project was given on 1 April, 2008, when the company “New Systems AM” (part of the DCH group, its president – well-known Ukrainian businessman, investor and general coordinator of Kharkiv for EURO 2012 program – Alexander Yaroslavsky) won the tender for the rental of a complete property complex of the Kharkiv Airport.

The reconstruction project includes the construction of a new terminal, reconstruction of the existing one, construction of a new runway and major repairs of the airport terminal apron facilities. Technological scheme of passenger service was designed by the renowned German company “Airport Research Center”, which has extensive experience in designing major airports in Europe. Adjustment of this design to the Ukrainian regulatory requirements has been carried out by Kharkiv design organization “Arkstone”. After the reconstruction, citizens and guests of Kharkiv – the “first capital” – will have access to modern international airport capable of receiving different types of aircrafts including such as Airbus A-320 and Boeing B-737.

The new terminal with an area of more than 20 thousand square meters will enable by the year 2011, to increase volume of passengers flow to 800,000 passengers a year. It is also planned to reconstruct a hotel attached to the International Airport Kharkiv and creation of a modern parking garage. Completion date for the new terminal – the second half of 2010.

The project is funded by the private investor – the company “New Systems AM” (DCH group) and by the state budget of Ukraine. Share of DCH – UAH 508,8 mln.

Project involves construction of a new passenger terminal, restoration of the existing terminal, reconstruction of the airport adjacent square, construction of parking lots, construction of a temporary reverse terminal, complete modernization of the airport infrastructure, purchase of special transport. Share of the state at the project equals to UAH727 million. Public funding will be used for construction of a new runway, apron and aircraft parking areas, a new rescue station, air traffic control tower, replacement-of the existing light signaling system and aircraft landing control system.

After reconstruction, International Airport Kharkiv will become the First Airport in Ukraine, which will operate super modern luggage handling system (lhs) (capacity – 960 pieces of luggage per hour for international flights and 600 pieces of luggage per hour for domestic flights) put forward by the world leader in this area – Vanderlande Industries.Distinctive feature of this BHS – mobility, which has an ability to be further, expanded, to create additional points of registration and arrival terminals.

In 2009, also signed was a five-year contract between “New Systems AM” and SITA – a leading operator in the market of information and telecommunication solutions for aviation industry – for delivery and full integration of information and technology solutions for the new terminal.

New terminal will be equipped with necessary number of state and custom border crossing channels as well as with aviation safety control facilities and facilities securing comfortable movement at terminal of the disabled people. At the territory of the constructed terminal there will be numerous shops, café and other auxiliary services. In order to ensure required airport throughput capacity (2,550 passenger / hour), it is planned thatduring the time when held in Kharkiv will be EURO-2012 football games, temporary installed will be so-called reverse terminal with throughput capacity of 1,000 passengers per hour.

Check-in time is different in each airport. In the airport Kharkov it begins 2 hours 30 minutes and finishes 40 minutes prior to the departure. When you buy the ticket ascertain check-in time. Otherwise, your ticket can be sold if you don't appear for registration. First of all you have to pass the passport and customs supervision and then you have to follow to the check-in clerk to obtain the boarding pass with your place and to register your luggage. You don't have to pass customs supervision in "Green corridor" mood. The boarding will be announced afterwards. When you hear this information you have to go to the gates indicated in your boarding pass, and there you have to pass the special control. The country of your destination can have special rules, so when you buy the ticket ask the clerk about check-in procedure in that country.

Kharkiv International Airport is well served by municipal transport and is connected to the city's wider network of roads and railways via Aeroflotska Street and the M03 national trunk road. The following bus lines provide public transport between the airport and the city of Kharkiv:

Trolleybus 5 - Airport - Universitetska Street (transfer for metro - Prospekt Gagarina)
119 - Airport - Prospekt Pobedy (transfer for metro - Prospekt Gagarina)
152 - Airport - 552nd Mikrorajon (transfer for metro - Akademika Barabashova)
225 - Airport - Metro 'Akademika Barabashova' (transfer for metro - Akademika Barabashova)
The airport also has a number of car rental offices and a large, secure, pay parking area.