Cluj-Napoca Airport. Photo: Alexanderstock23 / Shutterstock.com Cluj International Airport in Romania has activated a Category III Instrument Landing System (ILS CAT III) and installed 12 automated border control gates, in two projects aimed at improving operations in low visibility and speeding up passenger processing.
The airport presented the upgrades during a press conference and guided tour of its Departures and Arrivals terminals. The projects are intended to improve operational reliability, strengthen border checks and help manage growing passenger flows.
The airport has invested 12.08 million lei (2.25 million euro) excluding VAT, in 12 automated border control gates supplied by SITA. Six gates are located in the Departures Terminal for eligible EU passengers travelling to non-Schengen destinations, while another six are in the Arrivals Terminal for eligible EU passengers arriving from outside the Schengen Area.
The gates use biometric verification and electronic travel document readers to check passengers’ identities automatically under Border Police supervision. According to the airport, the system can process several passengers simultaneously, with one Border Police officer monitoring a group of six gates under the planned operating configuration.
At arrivals, the new equipment is also expected to make better use of the existing terminal space while the airport’s expansion project remains pending.
The second project upgrades the runway’s Instrument Landing System from Category II to Category III. The system is now operational and is designed to support landings in significantly reduced visibility, subject to aircraft, pilot, airline and operational approvals.
Fog can disrupt flights at Cluj during the colder months, sometimes resulting in delays, cancellations or aircraft being diverted to other airports. The CAT III system is expected to reduce the impact of such conditions, although the benefits will depend on the capabilities and authorizations of each operator.
The project, titled “Ensuring CAT. III operating conditions at runway 07-25,” had a total financing agreement value of approximately 8.5 million lei. European Union co-financing through the European Regional Development Fund amounted to around 3.04 million lei under the 2014–2020 Large Infrastructure Operational Program.
Airport General Manager David Ciceo described the two upgrades as an important step in modernizing the airport, highlighting their role in improving the reliability of flight operations and passenger processing.
Cluj County Council President Alin Tișe said the council would continue supporting airport development, while SITA Europe President Sergio Colella said the automated gates demonstrate how biometric technology can address practical challenges in airport operations.
The airport thanked the Romanian Civil Aeronautical Authority, ROMATSA, the Border Police, the SRI Anti-Terrorism Brigade and participating airlines for their involvement in delivering the projects.