If you are researching this university you will find almost every page online calling it National Aviation University. As of 2026 that is no longer its official name, and if you are about to put it on an application form you should know what it is now called.
By Presidential Decree of Ukraine No. 101/2026 of 6 February 2026, the institution became National University “Kyiv Aviation Institute”. The university announced the change as taking effect on 27 May 2026, and stated that fourth-year graduates in June 2026 would receive diplomas carrying the new designation.
Parts of the university’s own English-language site still use the former name, so you will see both. Ask the admissions office which name will appear on your documents.
- Founded
- 1933, as the Kyiv Aviation Institute, from the aviation department of the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute
- National status
- 2000
- Current official name
- National University “Kyiv Aviation Institute” (NU KAI), by Presidential Decree No. 101/2026
- Students
- About 25,000
- International students
- Nearly 1,500, from 55 countries
- Graduates to date
- More than 200,000, as stated by the university
The facts on this page come from the university’s own English-language website and its published announcement of the name change. Where the university does not publish something — tuition by programme, or the language of instruction for a specific course — we say so rather than fill the gap.
A Point of Confusion Worth Clearing Up First
There are two major aviation universities in Ukraine and students routinely mix them up on application forms.
| This university | The other one |
|---|---|
| National University “Kyiv Aviation Institute” — formerly National Aviation University | National Aerospace University “Kharkiv Aviation Institute” (KhAI) |
| Kyiv | Kharkiv |
| Founded 1933 | A separate institution with its own history |
Both have “Aviation Institute” in their formal names. They are not branches of one another. Check which city your invitation letter names.
How It Became What It Is
- 1933
- Founded as the Kyiv Aviation Institute, on the basis of the aviation department of the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. The university traces its roots further back, to aviation courses run at KPI in the late nineteenth century.
- 1947
- Becomes the Kyiv Institute of Civil Aviation.
- 1994
- Becomes the Kyiv International University of Civil Aviation.
- 2000
- Becomes National Aviation University, receiving national status.
- 2026
- Renamed National University “Kyiv Aviation Institute” by Presidential Decree No. 101/2026, effective 27 May 2026.
Aviation education in Kyiv therefore predates the university itself, which is unusual and is why you will sometimes see much earlier dates quoted.
Scale and Structure
The university publishes the following structure:
- Five institutes
- Ten faculties
- A Department of Military Training
- Six colleges
- Two lyceums
- A Flight Academy in Kropyvnytskyi — a separate campus from Kyiv
Two of the named faculties give a sense of how specialised the teaching is: the Faculty of Air Navigation, Electronics and Telecommunications, and the Faculty of Architectural Structures and Airfields. Airfield engineering as a distinct faculty is not something most universities offer.
The Flight Academy in Kropyvnytskyi matters practically: if your programme involves flight training, you may not be studying in Kyiv. Confirm the campus before you arrange accommodation.
International Students and Language
The university states that it teaches nearly 1,500 international students from 55 countries, and lists “Education in English” among its offerings. It also states that its international collaboration allows students to take internships and obtain dual diplomas.
“Education in English” as a site-wide statement does not tell you whether the specific programme you want runs in English, in every year of the degree. Ask the admissions office in writing, naming the exact programme and intake, before you commit. What each Ukrainian university publishes about language of instruction is set out on our page about English-taught universities in Ukraine.
What We Could Not Verify
We would rather list these than guess at them:
- Tuition by programme. The university does not publish a per-programme fee schedule for international students that we could locate. Our fees page gives indicative figures and explains who charges what, but the university’s own figure is the one that binds you.
- Which programmes run in English, and in which years.
- Preparatory-year provision. We could not find a published preparatory department entry for this university in the Ministry of Education and Science directory. If you need language preparation, see our guide to the preparatory course in Ukraine and ask this university directly what it offers.
If You Intend to Work in Aviation
Aviation is among the most tightly regulated fields there is. Whether you may work as a pilot, air traffic controller, or licensed engineer is decided by the civil aviation authority of the country where you intend to work — not by the university, and not by us. Requirements differ by country and by role, and a degree is usually one component alongside separate licensing.
Confirm the position with that authority, in writing, before you commit. Our guide to how recognition works explains the same principle for regulated professions generally.
Studying in Kyiv
Kyiv is the capital and by far the largest student city in Ukraine — our Kyiv page lists every university there that you can apply to through us. It is far from the front line but is still subject to air raids; read your own government’s current travel advice before deciding, and ask the university what format your programme is taught in.
