Since 24 February 2022, the airport does not operate any scheduled, charter or cargo flights due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

On 22 June 1959, the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR ordered the establishment of regular civil air traffic to the then military airfield near Boryspil.

It was Aeroflot's Tupolev Tu-104 en route from Moscow, carrying 100 passengers and about 1,600 kilograms (3,500 lb) of cargo.

[citation needed] In November 1960, the first permanent air group, consisting of Tu-104 and Antonov An-10 planes, was assigned to the airport.

[citation needed] In 1963, the Ukrainian Territorial Administration of Civil Aviation formed its Boryspil subdivision consisting of the airport and its air group.

[citation needed] Toward the final decades of the Cold War, the Soviet Air Force maintained a presence at Boryspil Airport with 1 VTAP (1st Military Aviation Transportation Regiment) flying Ilyushin Il-76 cargo jets.

However, ordinary Soviet citizens were not allowed to depart abroad from Kyiv, being restricted to fly only from Moscow airports.

The airport was subject to a $15 million facelift by a construction consortium led by MDA – A Dublin-based contractor headed by Ronnie Petrie – with designs by UK consultants Mark Homer Design and opened for domestic and international passengers and flights.

Early in the 2000s, Boryspil became a hub airport serving destined and transit flights of foreign airlines.

Its development strategy stresses the hub role since domestic passenger demand is growing insufficiently compared to the possible transit traffic.

In 2008, passport control within Terminal B Departures was moved further east (along with the entrance to the main duty-free shop so that it remains airside).

After Terminal D opened (building began on 24 October 2008[15]), platform M can be reconstructed without having a major impact on traffic.

The terminal hosted shops, cafes, travel agencies and banks, as well as offices of airlines and a business center.

This has been ensured by implementing a scheme of movement based on the principle of multi-level zoning — departing passengers use the airport's upper floors, whilst those arriving and yet to pass through immigration are processed on a lower level.

The building features both jetbridges and bus boarding stands and is equipped to handle wide-body aircraft such as Ukraine International Airlines' Boeing 777-200ERs.

However, the higher level of service offered led to the transfer of many scheduled European and Asian carriers to the terminal.

[32] Before to that date, the following airlines offered regular scheduled and charter services to and from Boryspil International Airport.

The terminal will serve Ukrainian officials at a rate of ₴180 per person, whilst others wishing to use its facilities will be expected to pay a minimum of ₴1100.

[60] Plans for the new VIP terminal show that it will cost around ₴350 million and will have the capacity to serve around 150 passengers an hour.

The complex, which is managed by Kyiv Catering, cost around US$25 million to build and is capable of producing up to 25,000 flight-packaged meals a day.

[62] The new catering centre was built entirely with private funds supplied by investors, thus making it one of the first investments at Boryspil not part-funded by the state.

The Ukrainian Post (Ukrposhta) is a major company operating at Boryspil, whilst the airport can provide cold storage and standard cargo transport.

[64] Boryspil airport is connected to Kyiv and its wider metropolitan area through the road network.

322) provides regular shuttle services between Kyiv's main railway station and Terminal D of the airport.

Many intercity bus routes to or from Kyiv make dedicated stopovers to cater for airline passengers from other cities.

Boryspil has a number of long-stay guarded car parks as well as designated drop-off points and taxi stands.