Owner of Romanian airline Blue Air hires Lufthansa for consultancy on future airport South of Bucharest

The owner of low cost airline Blue Air, Romanian businessman Nelu Iordache plans to build a new airport 22 kilometers South of Bucharest, and hired Luf­than­sa Consulting for consultancy services. The company that will build the airport, Infra Group hopes to get the construction permits in the next four months for the investment estimated at some EUR 200 million. The new airport is expected to become an alternative to Bucharest's main airport Otopeni, now the sole airport in the city, after the low cost airport Baneasa was recently closed down and all flights moved to the main airport.

The developer has the zonal urban planing approval for this project in Adunatii Copaceni, no financing lined up yet, but hopes to start construction work by the end of this year. Construction work is expected to last for 30 months for the 45,000 sqm airport building, with a 3,200 meters runway and at least 10 gates. The new airport would cater to around 2 million passengers a year. The new airport will not service only low cost flights and its developers hope to take advantage of the future development south of Bucharest. The airport will be developed on 250 hectares, and its construction will be phased. The investors estimate to recover the investment in 15 to 17 years. Luf­than­sa Consulting, which offers solutions for the air transport industry, will prepare a business plan and offer support in finding investors for the airport. In a first phase, the company will do a feasibility study, according to Marnix Groot, development director with Lufthansa Consulting. The investors are looking at any financing options, including “money from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), pension funds or individual investors,” according to Gheorghe Racaru, strategy director of the group of companies which includes Infra Group. Infra Group was set up in 2010 and offers passenger handling, cargo, catering, ticketing and flight services at the Henri Coanda airport in Bucharest, the George Enescu airport in Bacau and the Sibiu airport. The company is 75 percent owned by Romstrade Group and the rest is controlled by Blue Air. editor@romania-insider.com (photo source: Blue Air)