30M on the Horizon: the Country that Amazes Europe with 28.5M Passengers, Surpassing Every Known Threshold

The civil aviation sector in Romania concluded 2025 with record figures, indicating a steady growth trend and strengthening the resilience of the country's airport infrastructure. According to public data, total passenger traffic reached 28,547,056, up nearly 10% from 2024 and more than 22% above the pre-COVID-19 2019 level.

The data reflect both increased demand for flights and the maturation of the local market, as evidenced by the expansion of the route network and the entry of new airlines into service in Romania.

Bucharest continues to be the backbone of Romanian aviation, with the capital's two airports handling approximately 18 million passengers together:

• Henri Coandă International Airport Bucharest surpassed 17 million passengers for the first time, up 6.64% from 2024, driven in part by infrastructure projects, including runway and shuttle route upgrades.
• Aurel Vlaicu International Airport Bucharest Băneasa broke all records with a massive jump of 548.74% and traffic of approximately 700,00 passengers, thanks to an operating model suitable for scheduled and low-cost flights in a secondary urban terminal. The airport reopened for regular flights in 2025, after a 13-year hiatus. 

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There is also significant strengthening outside the capital:

• Cluj-Napoca International Airport, with over 3.5 million passengers, maintains second place in the country.
• Iași International Airport has surpassed 2.2 million passengers and is establishing itself as a regional hub in eastern Romania.
• Notable jumps were also recorded in Tulcea (+404.2%) and Oradea (+51.9%), with Oradea's success attributed to public service contracts (PSO) that allow direct connection to international hubs.

According to the Romanian Airline Companies Association, Carpathia, the data reinforce the need for continued investment in ground infrastructure and operational incentives. Air navigation service provider ROMATSA was also ranked among the leaders in Europe for accuracy and punctuality in 2025.

For 2026, the authorities are focusing on completing new terminals (including expansion to 30 million passengers), digitizing check-in processes, and preparing for existing requirements, including sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and green technologies.

In 2025, Romanian aviation demonstrated the technical and managerial capacity to handle record volumes and remains a key driver of Romania's economic integration into the European market.