Henri Coanda Airport in Otopeni needs a second terminal to be able to handle passenger traffic, which is estimated to double by 2050, say representatives of Fondul Proprietatea, the minority shareholder of Compania Nationale Aeroporturi Bucuresti. If plans start now, construction could be ready in 5-7 years, and the entire project will cost between 500 million and one billion euros. At the same time, Baneas airport does not make economic sense.

Fondul Proprietatea commissioned an independent traffic assessment report at two Bucharest airports.

Thus, according to a study by NACO, a Dutch consulting company in the air transport sector, Otopeni Airport could handle between 16 and 18 million passengers at its current capacity.

But traffic is expected to grow from about 13 million today to 21 million a year by 2030 and 33 million passengers a year by 2050.

“In order to take over this flow, new investments are urgently needed: the construction of a second terminal and the improvement of the existing one. In order to get the necessary investments, it is necessary to bring the company to the stock exchange,” said John Mayer, CEO of Franklin Templeton, administrator of Fondul Proprietatea, at a press conference.

A new terminal built from scratch in Otopeni could cost between 500 million and 1 billion euros, according to René Hopstaken, airport consultant NACO, as well as strengthening the road infrastructure around the airport.

As for Baneas Airport, it has a capacity of approximately 175 passengers per hour or 2 aircraft movements per hour (one landing and one takeoff).

Baneas airport does not make economic sense

In the current scenario for Baneas Airport, i.e. without any capacity expansion, the traffic volume by 2035 will range from 340,000 to 840,000 if Baneas Airport manages to offer favorable conditions for airlines.

If restrictions on night flights are taken into account, the upper limit may be limited to approximately 700,000 passengers per year.

According to the study, regardless of technical solutions and investment costs, all potential scenarios aim to increase capacity only to a maximum of 4 aircraft movements per hour, i.e. from 0.7 to 1.3 million passengers maximum per year.

Fondul Proprietatea is currently contesting the increase in share capital in Bucharest Airports for the value of land at Băneasa Airport.

According to FP, the predicted traffic figures at Baneas Airport were a key element in the assessment report, which represented a significant overestimation.

“The NACO report indicates a maximum potential traffic at Băneasa Airport that is about half of what was predicted in the disputed evaluation report, which once again points to a fundamentally flawed process of increasing social capital.

Baneas airport does not make economic sense. Companies will need discounts to move from Otopeni to Beniasa,” Meyer said.

Fondul Proprietatea asks the Ministry of Transport to approve the cancellation of the decision of the general meeting of shareholders of Bucharest Airports, which approved the increase of the share capital, and to work with the minority shareholder to identify solutions for the further development of the airport infrastructure in Bucharest.

In May of this year, Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu stated that the construction of a new passenger terminal at Henri Coanda International Airport is unfounded.

The minister, who claimed the current terminal was operating at 200% capacity, was described as “out of touch with reality” by the ministry’s former state secretary, Horatio Cosmas.