The Bra\u0219ov airport, in central Romania, will submit documentation to the European Commission requesting approval for state aid, according to media reports.<\/p>\n
The Bra\u0219ov County Council is in the final stages of discussions with the Competition Council regarding the documentation that will be submitted to the European Commission, with the final deadline for the notification set for December 15. They are also waiting for an official announcement from NATO confirming the strategic role of the airport.<\/p>\n
The airport has become a hub for military aircraft in recent months, giving it a strategic role, which the County Council will reportedly note in the address to the Commission. Local officials are also relying on the “good operational history” of the airport over the past year and a half.<\/p>\n
“Our specialists, along with the airport\u2019s, have been discussing \u2013 in a very practical and pragmatic way \u2013 the notification to be submitted by the end of the year to the European Commission. The discussion involved deadlines, investments, the number of flights, destinations, etc. We remain optimistic that Bra\u0219ov Airport will be among the top five airports in the country by 2027, and I am convinced the European Commission will be satisfied,\u201d said Bra\u0219ov County Council President, Todoric\u0103 \u0218erban, as reported by G4media.ro<\/a>.<\/p>\n According to the local official, the Bra\u0219ov-Ghimbav Airport has had 200,000 passengers in its first year and a half.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have every chance to grow in such a way that by 2027, we will have at least 700,000 passengers, meaning that by that time, the airport will be self-sustaining and will no longer need support from the County Council,” he added.<\/p>\n Military landings and takeoffs at the airport \u2013 which have been happening since March \u2013 contribute to the total number of flights at the Bra\u0219ov airport.<\/p>\n “It is certain, and it will happen very soon, that NATO and the military unit from Cincu [military base] will permanently establish themselves at this airport. Military planes are already landing and taking off from Ghimbav with soldiers and military equipment,” noted the President of CJ Bra\u0219ov.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Bra\u0219ov-Ghimbav Airport was opened in June 2023, making it the first new airport to open in the country in the last 50 years. The airport had trouble after its inauguration, and shortened operating hours caused the move of airline Dan Air to another regional airport. However, in January of this year, Romanian airline Fly Lili<\/a> began operations at the airport.<\/p>\n