The fate of Arad Airport seems to be sealed. We don't say it, vice-president Răzvan Cadar doesn't say it, he doesn't say it either specialarad.ro, but even the airlines that analyzed the opportunity to contract scheduled flights from the Arad airport.
Arad airport is not of interest to airlines
Vice-president Răzvan Cadar pointed out during the CJA meeting: "At Arad Airport we have approximately 4000 movements per year, whether we are talking about SMURD flights, NATO flights, cargo flights or private flights. Our minus refers strictly to scheduled flights. Being close to Timișoara Airport, the one in Budapest, the one in Debrecen or Oradea, are things that put us at a disadvantage in terms of attracting operators.
Any operator who wants to come here makes an economic calculation. After all, no airline is the Red Cross. No airline comes and dives until they do the math. We are talking about a catchment area, a number of passengers who want to fly from this airport and on all the calculations and on all the analyzes and on all the situations it is not profitable. The desire of the operators to come to Arad has been discussed, and it is open. We have to find a way to help these operators with a certain amount of money to cover their losses caused by the lack of traffic.
But to be able to have these discussions and because the funding sources were opened on POIM, we managed to win two projects of 10 million euros to maintain the standard of the airport. We are trying to keep it at a certain level to be able to sit at the negotiating table when it comes to contracting air operators".
The Alfa track has been redone
We mention that, these days, the project with European financing was completed at the airport in Arad the Alfa track was redone. The works to restore the Alfa taxiway within the Arad Airport premises were completed, an investment that was imperatively necessary for the airport to align with the standards required by the aeronautical authorities. The project, which has a total value of over 23,5 million lei, benefited from non-refundable European funding, through the Large Infrastructure Operational Program.
What did this project mean? The complete restoration of the taxiway, on which the planes travel between the boarding platform and the take-off/landing runway, equipping it with new beacons, ensuring the lighting required in the relevant legislation, as well as making the markings.
In conclusion, investments are being made to maintain the airport at European standards, but it is too close to other much more attractive and developed airports, which makes it no longer profitable for airlines.