Carpatair to close down its base on Cluj airport in Romania after conflict with airport manager

Airline Carpatair will close down its operational base on the Cluj – Napoca airport in Romamnia due to a conflict with the airport's manager David Ciceo, the company has announced. “The Cluj airport director tries to harass Carpatair through the complaint he has submitted to the European Commission about the relationship with Wizz Air,” according to Carpatair.

Carpatair has said that the airport has been helping one of its competitors, Wizz Air, since 2007, with an amount close to EUR 20 million in total, which impedes competition. Carpatair has also acused the head of the Cluj airport, David Ciceo, of delaying its Cluj – Timisoara flight by two hours. The airline said it plans to go to court against Ciceo for abusing his position and favoring the competition. Carpatair is owned by Nicolae Petrov, who is also the head of the company's board and its executive manager. Air carrier Carpatair posted a turnover of EUR 74 million last year, up 14 percent on the year before. The number of passengers Carpatair transported in 2010 reached 570,000, an increase of 13 percent on 2009. editor@romania-insider.com (photo source: Carpatair)