The Romanian Government will try to sign a partnership with airline operator Qatar Airways to revamp the Otopeni international airport and to restructure the state airline Tarom.

“We have talked to the Qatar Airways CEO and informed him of our wish to list the Bucharest Airport Company on the stock market and to save Tarom,” said Prime Minister Victor Ponta during a visit to Qatar, reports local Mediafax.

He added that the talks are in “an exploratory phase” and that the Romanian Government had similar discussions with Turkish Airlines, Emirates and Etihad.

Ponta said that Bucharest’s international airport had one of the fastest developments in the region in recent years, but that it needs more investments, as the current infrastructure is starting to show its limits. He added that the Government plans to privatize the airport via a capital increase and to draw money from the stock market.

editor@romania-insider.com