On May 3, 1960, the first civil aircraft landed at Mihail Kogălniceanu Constanța International Airport. Great efforts have been made to make it operational for civil aviation. Until then, the 2500 m long runway was intended only for military aircraft.
The former airport commander, Mr. Gheorghe Constantin (1921-2017) remembered the event: "On May 1, 1960, the first German tourist plane, the Ilyushin Il-18, was to arrive. The excavations of the Aerogarea foundation and its outbuildings begin. One month was available until the first plane, during which time the minimum arrangements had to be made in order to receive the plane in complete safety and security. A space has been set up for customs control and for all other formalities. The expected aircraft arrived on May 3, 1960, not the one announced. The tourists were disembarked and invited to the 2 military tents we found in Eforie Nord, ICSAP Unit This is how the activity at Mihail Kogălniceanu Airport started. ”
On June 1, 1962 the construction of the new airport and the technical body with the control tower was inaugurated. During this period there were already flights between Constanta and Milan, Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, London. And until 1966 he also flew to Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Vienna, Zurich, Stockholm, Paris, Istanbul, Prague, Bratislava, Warsaw.
In the period 1970-1971 the foundation of the old track is consolidated and the concrete track is extended by another 1000m. The airport is equipped with check-in cabins on flows in 1986. In the following years, major repairs were made to the airport infrastructure: Passenger terminals (Departures / Arrivals) and PDA light beacons.
Implementation followed Strategic Program 2002 - 2015, during which repair / modernization works were carried out on some objectives:
- Completion of major repairs and modernization of the PDA light beacon
- Major repair at the runway - landing
- Separation of passenger flows and arrangement of Schengen areas
- Rehabilitation and consolidation of stationary aircraft platforms
- Modernization and rehabilitation of the electric power system
Also during this period, new objectives were built: Cargo Terminal and PSI draw.
In the 60 years of civil aviation at the airport, the airport infrastructure and facilities have been continuously improved to meet the new requirements of airport safety and security, so that the airport has served over time aircraft of the type: LI-2, IL -14, IL-18, BAC-1-11 400 and 500, Lockheed-1011, IL-62, TU-154, Boeing 737/747/777, Airbus 330, C5, C17, to the cargo aircraft AN-124.
And a supplement from the AirlinesTravel editorial staff. We hope that this airport can be used and operated at its true capacity and value. It has a good location for the Romanian coast. It only takes a little more will and desire to develop air passenger traffic. Happy birthday full of passengers!
INFO: Mihail Kogalniceanu Constanta International Airport