Abstract: The level of development of the state’s transport system is one of the most important signs of its technological progress. The role of air transport in the Ukrainian economy is growing every year. The volume of transportation of passengers, cargo and mail is increasing, which accelerates the economic development and integration of the country into the world community. Along with the growth of traffic volumes, competition in the market is growing both between airlines and between different modes of transport. The article analyzes passenger traffic by Ukrainian airlines during the years of independence of Ukraine, considers the dynamics of the average occupancy rate of aircraft on domestic and international airlines and draws appropriate conclusions on the development trends of airlines. The trends that influence the choice of strategic positioning of air companies as an element of the strategic management system are investigated. The conducted studies allow us to conclude that over the years of Ukraine’s independence, not counting the coronavirus crisis in 2020, there is a general trend towards an increase in the share of air transport in the implementation of passenger traffic. In the future, this may lead to an even greater exacerbation of interspecific competition. However, given the size of the territory and the peculiarities of the transport infrastructure of Ukraine, the rapid further growth of the role of air transport can only be influenced by the increase in the role of low-cost carriers and the development of regional airports, but this will also have a limited impact. The materials of the article are scientific and methodological in nature. The established trends in the development of air transportation in Ukraine allow in future studies to consider certain issues of future development.