Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu said that in four to five years Otopeni Airport will reach its maximum capacity and a new terminal must be built. At the same time, he reported that the revenues of the Bucharest airport tripled after the signing of new space contracts.

Otopeni airport agglomerationPhoto: Hotnews
  • “Bucharest Airport has reached the number of passengers before the pandemic. One thing, that period has resumed. In four to five years, it will reach its maximum capacity, which means that we have to start everything related to the construction of the new terminal right now. Moreover, to answer directly, I did not agree, but I had nothing to do, at the end of last year, when all the profits, and not only in Bucharest airport, but also in other state-owned companies, those profits were taken away. Bolosh to the state budget. It should be known that the profit was about 500 million. With a turnover of 400 billion at the Bucharest airport, the profit was 500 million. This money was reinvested in the airport because it was not reinvested elsewhere. Unfortunately, they were taken away. I understood the special situation at the end of last year, but I won’t understand this year,” Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu told Digi24, according to News.ro.

Asked if he had seen an airport uglier than Otopeni, he said new contracts had been signed for facilities that would triple revenues.

  • “It’s good that there’s been a bit of cleaning done, and it’s not about cleanliness per se, it’s about cleanliness related to the space and everything you know. Auctions were held at the Romanian Commodity Exchange as transparently as possible, with whoever offered the highest price. Revenues tripled. The contracts signed in the last period for everything, which means duty frees, spaces, at the airport, mean three times more income than they were until now,” said Grindianu.

As a reminder, Romania will join the Schengen area at the level of air borders (Air Schengen) in March of this year according to the decision of the EU Council on December 30, 2023.

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