In 50 years, an airport built from scratch was inaugurated in Romania and we are talking here about Ghimbav-Brașov International Airport. The Brasov airport project did not appear overnight, it has been in the drawers of the authorities in the beautiful city for more than 20 years. Over the years there have been many conflicts surrounding this project, with authorities accusing each other of sabotage.
But 2012 came, the year in which the construction site for the airport runway was inaugurated, which today is 2820 meters long and 45 meters wide. Airplanes such as Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 can land on the airport runway. 11 years away from the start of construction of the runway, here we have a functional airport in Brașov. The costs amounted to over 70 million EURO, money secured from loans, the local budget, etc.
Brașov is the 17th city in Romania to have an airport. The Brașov airport terminal is the third largest, after Henri Coandă Airport in Otopeni and Cluj-Napoca Airport. Brașov-Ghimbav International Airport became operational on June 15, 2023.
The advantages of Brasov airport
Like any airport, it comes with many advantages, but also disadvantages and challenges. The advantages are clear: the local community can be more easily connected to the world's major airports. Passengers no longer have to travel hundreds of kilometers to the nearest airports, such as Sibiu, Bucharest, Cluj or Târgu Mureș. There is also an advantage from a tourist point of view. Brașov and Valea Prahova are among the most attractive tourist areas in Romania, annually visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists. Brașov airport could attract charter flights that would bring even more tourists to the area, as well as business people, which would influence regional economic development. A lot can be built and developed around an airport. So far so good, right?
The challenges of Brasov airport
It's just that an airport is like a business. In order to run smoothly, it must be profitable. Either profitability comes from attracting airlines, which in turn open attractive routes to attract as many passengers as possible. But the airlines do not come overnight, and the planes are not full from the first flights. This is where the challenges arise for local authorities and airport administrators, but also for airlines.
As a new airport, profitability studies are hypothetical, as are studies of potential passenger numbers. Airlines may try some routes, but if there aren't enough passengers to make the flights profitable, they will leave. In addition to the number of passengers, the facilities that an airport makes available to airlines also matter, and among the most important are the operating hours and operational fees.
How much does an airport schedule matter? The schedule is very important so that airlines have operational flexibility and passengers have as much variety of flights as possible during the day. But at what cost could an airport operate 24/7 or 18-20 hours a day? Who bears the costs until the airport turns a profit, if it ever does?
The Brașov airport was certified by AACR for the 7-19 program because the authorities managing the airport decided so based on studies and after analyzes with the other partners involved in the proper functioning of the airport. ROMATSA scaled its staff for airport operating hours, but ROMATSA did NOT request this schedule. The fact that it is remote tower or existing physical tower at an airport is irrelevant. Driving is done under the same safety and security conditions during the airport's operating hours. Any deviation from the schedule without the approval of the authorities can lead to the revocation of the operating certificate, or the Brașov airport does not want to be left without the right to operate.
For starters, airlines can scale their operations under this program. Wizz Air has announced two routes that it will inaugurate in September 2023. Wizz Air's strategy is to test the market, as it has done over the years at many airports in Romania. Where there was profit / financial benefit, it stayed. Where he had no profit, he left. Everything is business, and not just for Wizz Air. All airlines fly where the money is! Charter airlines work the same way.
DAN Air can still do just as well, without scandal. It is very good that andadjusted the operational schedule in accordance with the airport's schedule and thus can continue to fly, attract passengers and scale its operational network according to supply and demand. There are some challenges for all airlines, but also for the airport. In time, things will settle down.
Disadvantages of Brașov airport
Brașov airport also comes with a number of disadvantages. First of all, it is a new airport, a new destination, without many studies that can prove its efficiency. Once built, how it will be managed is very important. Want a regional airport for tourists, for VIP flights, for charters, for cargo, for frequent passenger flights? Here the authorities should determine and allocate the necessary resources to develop the airport so that it is profitable. If it doesn't carry passengers, maybe they will turn it into a cargo airport. No one says it has to be for passengers or ONLY for passengers.
Another disadvantage is that it is a reasonable distance from many other airports. If there had been express roads or highways from Brașov to Bucharest, Sibiu or Cluj, the airport would certainly not have been needed in the region. But as Romania is doing poorly in terms of land infrastructure, let's at least do better by air.
It remains to be seen how things will evolve at Brașov airport. We are curious which other airlines will choose to fly from/to Brașov and how they will fare in terms of profitability after 2-3 years from opening. The hard part is just beginning!