Ukrainian Bees Airline sends planes abroad due to 'military risks'

Ukraine's Bees Airline said on Tuesday that it was forced to send all its planes abroad because of increased military risks, mirroring similar action by two other carriers following a build-up of Russian forces on the Ukrainian border.

"On Feb. 14, we had to relocate one plane to Montpellier (France) and today or tomorrow we have to relocate the rest of the planes," the company said in a statement on its website.

Bees Airline is a three-year old local low-cost carrier that offers tickets to popular vacation spots inside the country and abroad and operates four Boeing 737-8HX planes, the FlightRadar24 tracking website says.

Ukrainian authorities have previously said they were keeping their airspace open and pledged to allocate funds to cover insurance risks.

"Unfortunately, despite the extension of insurance policies for aircraft, the allocation of funds from the reserve fund of the state budget... aircraft owners leasing companies require relocation of all aircraft outside Ukraine," Bees Airline said.

Several airlines have either halted flights to Ukraine or considered doing so.

Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) said on Tuesday it had to send abroad two more planes as a result of a compromise it reached with insurance companies that allowed it to keep operating 13 planes and stick to current flights schedule.

Low-cost carrier SkyUp had to divert a flight from Portugal on Saturday after the plane's owner barred it from entering Ukrainian airspace, but it said on Monday it had resumed selling tickets after an agreement with the Ukrainian government.

Bees Airline said it will go back to normal work if the situation calms down.

"According to the lessor, all aircraft will be returned to us in case of de-escalation of the military risk situation," the company said.

Russia said on Tuesday some of its troops were returning to base after exercises near Ukraine and it mocked repeated Western warnings about a looming invasion, but NATO said it had yet to see any evidence of de-escalation.