TÜRKIYE AND EASTERN EUROPE
Romania
A growing low-cost market around Bucharest, with aerostructures and MRO suppliers and new commercial drone services.
Market overview
Romania is one of the European Union's fastest-growing air markets, and low-cost airlines drive much of it. Its airports handled a record 28.5 million passengers in 2025, up 9.6% after 6% growth in 2024. Bucharest Henri Coandă (Otopeni) handled more than 17 million, followed by Cluj with 3.5 million and Iași with 2.2 million. Wizz Air alone carried about 14.5 million passengers to and from Romania in 2025, up 13.1%. It has nine bases in the country, reopened Bucharest Băneasa and Suceava, and will reopen Târgu Mureș in spring 2026. Growth has continued in 2026: May traffic was up 10% year on year and 26% above May 2019. With so much traffic at one airport, Otopeni's planned new terminal is the main capacity project, and the regional airports are investing too. For suppliers, the openings are in terminal and airport systems, line and base maintenance for the low-cost fleets, and Romania's supply chain for aerostructures and cabin parts.
At a glance
- Main hubs
- Bucharest Henri Coandă; Cluj-Napoca; Iași
- Flag carrier
- TAROM
- Airport operator
- Bucharest Airports National Company and regional operators ↗
Fast-growing low-cost marketaerostructures and MRO suppliersdrone services
Key facts
- 28.5 million airport passengers in 2025, a record, up 9.6% (Romanian Airports Association, Feb 2026).
- Bucharest Otopeni handled more than 17 million passengers in 2025 (up 7%), Cluj 3.5 million and Iași 2.2 million.
- Wizz Air carried about 14.5 million passengers to and from Romania in 2025, up 13.1% (Feb 2026).
- Wizz Air runs nine operational bases in Romania (Feb 2026).
- 2.57 million passengers in May 2026, up 10% year on year and 26% above May 2019 (June 2026).
Key figures
Passengers carried (2023)
2,806,654
2023 · rank 42 of 52
2019–2023
Air freight, million tonne-km (2023)
2
2023 · rank 46 of 52
2019–2023
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0).
Did you know
Romanian plants supply cabin and aerostructure parts to Airbus.
Typical bottlenecks in Romania
- Supplier approval and quality — Quality, safety & compliance
- Growing maintenance capacity — Airworthiness & CAMO · Fleet & asset management
- Setting up drone services — Advanced air mobility · Regulation & certification
Sources
- https://rhn.ro/en/air-traffic-in-romania-reached-a-record-28-5-million-passengers-in-2025-amid-9-6-growth/
- https://www.romania-insider.com/index%2ephp/wizz-air-passengers-romania-2025
- https://economedia.ro/traficul-aerian-din-romania-continua-cresterea-257-milioane-de-pasageri-in-mai-in-crestere-cu-10-fata-de-2025.html
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