Odessa Airport

Arrival at 21.00, crowded and awful organised arrival area. People were being off loaded off by busses in inner yard and had to fight their way through "luggage" area through a small exit door. Crowded, unorganized hall, overpriced cafes, be aware of pickpockets! From 20.00 no public transport to center. Neither Marschrutki nor Trolleybuses! Information office offers taxi ride to center for crazy prices (20-30 USD). Better simply to cross the parking lot and to ask the waiting taxidrivers there - they will drive you for 150 UAH or less (7 USD). Have experience with several airports in Ukraine - ODS is THE worst!

Arrived but didn't depart from the airport (VIE-ODS). Since I was carrying a significant amount of currency ($2500) I was politely questioned by customs but otherwise treated very well. After I told him where I was going he warned me that it would be expensive to take a taxi. The trick is that you need to call in advance. The taxicab mafia wants $50 and they stick together. If you call directly you can get a ride for $10 or so and they'll arrange for a pickup. Always arrange for pricing in advance. There's also a very inexpensive autobus that takes you into the city but can be crowded. I was in and out of the airport in 20 minutes. Don't exchange a lot of money there. Just enough to get into town. You'll find a better deal at places just a few blocks from the centre of town.

The terminal was like a long low shed tarmac potholed very poor quality. The terminal was old and tired but reasonably clean. The toilets were disgusting on the departure side. Arrival and departure procedures involved queuing several times unfriendly unsmiling personnel. We were herded onto buses from our incoming flight to travel approximately 150 feet to queue for customs. There were two unsmiling agents processing incoming passengers. Apart from the larcenous taxis - despite negotiation we still ended up paying about 2.5 times what the fare should have been into the city. To put it mildly this airport is not an asset to Odessa and is the worst airport I have ever been in.

A small but quite functional airport. I used it for a flight to Kiev and back to Odessa. What I like about this airport is the fact that due to it's small size everything works fast here. Baggage claim wait time was practically zero although this airport is not equipped with a baggage belt. Instead the tourists have to pick up their luggage from the back of a small truck. Probably the airport taxes for this airport are very small and for this reason some very good flight deals can be found on flights from this airport. The toilets were decent. Beside of some basic cafe there was nothing working at 6 in the morning. A baggage wrapping service is also available on site for the price of 25 grn. Parking for longer periods also available right near the airport.

Reminds me of a bus station but it does the job. Everything seems to go on in a relaxed way. Only one word of warning: Airline and ticketing offices don't always stick to the posted opening hours and be prepared for the usual taxi scam on arrival. As with the rest of this place speaking just a few words of Russian or Ukrainian can do wonders here. All in all this airport is a good gateway to the Southern Capital.

Have been thru this facility three times within the last year. Only one terminal very small but clean. Kinda reminds me of a US bus station terminal in a small city. All employees are friendly security is stereo-typed Russian however if your Russian language is limited they are very patient. Going thru check-in security goes very quickly and smoothly. Sometimes when arriving you are required to fill out a temporary Visa but if you write in English security cannot read it and they will pass you thru anyway. Never had to wait for luggage yes everything is scanned and if you are bringing gifts ( you will be asked) be prepared to pay "duty". There does not seem to be a set fee and you must pay in Hryvnia's. Not a problem just be prepared best is to leave the gifts at home and purchase them in the Ukraine. All in all understanding that the country has virtually no budget and no money this is an overall good experience for someone that has not crossed over to the eastern side of Europe.

The airport has improved slowly over the last 2 years. Yes it retains a slightly Soviet bearaucracy but that is to be expected but generally it runs ok. The duty free and cafe airside are ok but limited. The introduction of new airport transit buses has modernised things but the older truck and trailer is still around for added character. A resurfacing and lengthening of the runway is in progress so gradually all things will improve. Immigration is ok if you follow the rules and accept that it will take time. Luggage appears fairly quickly but the traveller must expect to have all incoming baggage checked and even X-rayed. The key to travel is correct paperwork relax don't expect slick service learn some local language and don't get stroppy when everything appears to stop. Remember the staff have the control and can may your life a misery if you give them cause. Also don't be overwhelmed with the onslaught from the rabid taxi touts as soon as you exit into the public area. Please remember that easy travel into and out of Ukraine is a recent thing and attitudes take time to change. If you are from a western culture you may wish to reflect that immigration and exit used to be similar not so long ago from many western european countries and travel into and out of the US can still be an exasparating experience!

Calling itself an international airport it's not worth that name. The building is very old and lacks every comfort even heating. It was just as freezing inside than it was outside. Departure "hall" is just a room no windows and wooden chairs. Customs and immigration takes ages. Tax free shop is situated behind a small window from where you can order your things. The toilet was so dirty that I decided to wait and use it on the plane. Even the runway was so bad that I was surprised that MALEV risked their brand new 737 to land there.