HiSky operates first direct Romania-US flight in 20 years

Moldovan airline HiSky operated on Friday, June 7, the first direct flight from Bucharest to the United States in over 20 years. Tarom’s flights to New York were halted in 2003.

The HiSky aircraft flying to New York is configured with two aisles and a total of 275 seats, divided into business and economy classes.

For the inaugural flight, the plane carrying the first passengers to the US was piloted by HiSky's CEO, Iulian Scorpan, a captain pilot with over 20 years of experience. It took off from Bucharest's Henri Coandă Airport on Friday morning.

The aircraft, an Airbus A330-200, is the first wide-body plane in the company's fleet and the only one of its kind registered in Romania.

"Together with the passengers we have on board for the flight to New York, we are experiencing a remarkable moment today, and June 7 will be remembered as the day the path for Romanians to the US was reopened after nearly 21 years. We are extremely honored to be the company fulfilling this desire for passengers from Romania and the diaspora," said Iulian Scorpan cited by News.ro.

Regular flights connecting Henri Coandă Airport with New York's main airport, John F. Kennedy, will be conducted four times per week, departing from Romania every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, with returns on the same days.

Tickets are available for two service classes, with prices starting at EUR 349 for economy class and EUR 1,899 for business class. Catering service is available onboard, with a hot meal and a snack included in the ticket price for each passenger. During the journey, passengers also have access to multimedia content available on the aircraft's entertainment system.

The airline announced the route at the end of last year, after receiving authorization from the US Department of Transportation to operate regular flights to this destination. As such, HiSky has become the only Romanian company that simultaneously holds the Foreign Air Carrier Permit and an aircraft capable of uninterrupted flights of up to 14 hours, according to Profit.ro.

According to traffic data, HiSky is the second-largest Romanian company by the number of passengers transported and the fourth most important operator at Romanian airports. Bucharest is HiSky's main operational base.