Schiphol donates 29 electric buses to Ukraine

Schiphol is donating 29 electric buses to Ukraine, where they will be given a new lease of life as city buses and school buses. Schiphol CEO Pieter van Oord officially handed over the buses to Ukrainian Ambassador Andriy Kostin and Jaap Scholten, founder of the Protect Ukraine Foundation.

CEO Pieter van Oord: ‘Inspired by other initiatives, I started looking at what Schiphol could do. Buses that we no longer use here can still make a real difference in Ukraine. Together with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ukrainian embassy, we identified where the buses could be put to the best use. And of course, they will not travel empty. Together with Protect Ukraine, we have filled them with aid supplies for civilians and military personnel, including generators. In this way, we hope to make a tangible contribution in a country where the war continues to put enormous pressure on daily life and mobility.’

Ukrainian Ambassador Andriy Kostin: ‘I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Royal Schiphol Group and Protect Ukraine for standing with Ukraine and turning solidarity into concrete action. These buses will soon serve Ukrainian communities, helping people in their daily lives. This generous initiative demonstrates the strength of our partnership and the importance of continued support from our Dutch friends.’

School and city buses
The donation consists of 29 used electric buses that were previously deployed airside at Schiphol for passenger transport. While the buses have now been replaced at the airport, they can still provide valuable service elsewhere. The buses will be transported to Ukraine by truck. The destinations and recipients were selected by the Ukrainian authorities based on local needs and the ability to operate the vehicles. The buses will be allocated to local and regional Ukrainian authorities, schools and civil society organisations, including a hospital for war veterans.

Aid supplies
The buses will not be transported empty. The available space will be used to carry humanitarian aid, including small generators and medical supplies. These generators are urgently needed during the coming winter months, both for civilians and military personnel. The exact contents of each shipment will be determined individually and will comply with all customs and export regulations. Protect Ukraine assisted in loading the buses with aid supplies.

Transport
Ownership of the buses will be transferred to the Ukrainian recipient organisations upon handover. From that point onward, they will be responsible for import procedures, registration, insurance, onward transport, maintenance and operation. Schiphol will organise and fund transportation to the Ukrainian border. The Ukrainian parties will take over the buses there and arrange further transport to their final destinations.