DAN AIR Relocates Flights from Brașov to Bacău

DAN AIR has made the decision to temporarily cease its flight operations at Brașov’s Ghimbav International Airport. This move comes in light of an announcement made by the Brașov airport on October 30, 2023, stating that the extension of its operating hours from 12 to 16 hours will only take effect on January 15, 2024. Consequently, the restricted schedule, inadequate airport facilities essential for winter operations, and a lack of amenities for airlines are the reasons behind DAN AIR’s decision to move its flights to Bacău’s International Airport. Multiple Romanian and foreign airline operators were eagerly awaiting the extension of the Brașov Airport’s hours. With DAN AIR’s departure, only one airline will remain operational at the Brașov airport.

DAN AIR commenced flights from Brașov-Ghimbav International Airport immediately following its inauguration in June of this year. For two months, it was the sole airline operating regular flights from there. DAN AIR aimed to contribute to the utilization of the €120 million investment funded by the public. On September 1, 2023, DAN AIR submitted its flight schedule for the winter season to Brașov Airport, expecting the extended operating hours from 12 to 16 hours, as promised by local authorities, to come into effect. In order to ensure that Brașov Airport would operate in reduced visibility conditions, DAN AIR sent a letter to local and central authorities, seeking clarification and confirmation for the new schedule. As a result, DAN AIR planned to bring another aircraft to Brașov to increase flight frequency and passenger traffic. The weekly flight frequency was supposed to increase, as well as the number of destinations (adding Paris, Malaga, Rome, Dublin, Tel Aviv, Dubai, and Oslo). The response only arrived on October 30, coinciding with the official announcement of the schedule extension delay until 2024.

“Brașov Airport has shown immense potential and has already ranked among Romania’s most important airports. It is a strategic investment of national importance that continues to be neglected, despite years of discussion. When it is ready, authorities discover they lack sufficiently qualified personnel or the technical capabilities to operate the airport efficiently and safely. I must emphasize that DAN AIR has not received, nor does it receive, any support from local authorities to stimulate passenger traffic at Brașov Airport, even though many airports in the country offer such incentives/subsidies per passenger or other free services. DAN AIR has paid the airport fees as requested and has never negotiated them, all to support the airport’s development. Despite the operating challenges at Brașov Airport, DAN AIR’s team was determined to operate from Brașov because we believed in the city’s potential and wanted to support its growth. DAN AIR has ‘subsidized’ the existence of Brașov Airport and has compelled other operators to open regular flights there as a direct result of our presence. However, like any business, we require predictability. In approximately five months, DAN AIR has already lost €2.6 million, and the people of Brașov have lost €120 million in public funds,” stated Matt Ian DAVID, CEO of DAN AIR.

Therefore, starting from November 13, the winter schedule for Brașov will operate as initially proposed, for primary European destinations with departures and arrivals from Bacău Airport. Travelers who still wish to fly and use their purchased tickets will benefit from a free transfer provided by DAN AIR on the Brașov-Bacău route and vice versa on the day of the flight. Passengers have been informed of these changes and have a special form to indicate their preference for these flights. The new flight schedule and the new destinations exclusively departing from Bacău Airport will take effect from December 11, with further details to be communicated in due course.

Brașov Airport had a limited operating schedule from its inauguration, running only for 12 hours, with the promise to extend it to 16 hours beginning on November 3, 2023. In an official response to DAN AIR, ROMATSA mentioned that the request for extending the airport’s operating hours was submitted by Brașov Airport on September 27, 2023, without attaching all the required documentation. As of September 1, 2023, Brașov Airport was already aware of DAN AIR’s proposed winter schedule, which was confirmed to DAN AIR only via phone or during meetings, indicating the extension of the airport’s hours. The limited operating hours compelled airlines to land at other airports when the time exceeded 7:00 PM, without any flexibility from the authorities whenever a slight extension was requested. This discomforted passengers who had to modify their routes or even miss connections to other flights, incurring additional costs for coach transfers from Bucharest to Brașov.

Lack of Airport Equipment Certification for Operation in Reduced Visibility Conditions

Brașov Airport does not have certification to operate flights in reduced visibility conditions, as the existing equipment, although in place, either has not been correctly installed or the authorization process has not yet started. Thus, with the onset of the winter season, reduced visibility will further limit operations at Brașov Airport, effectively reducing its daily operating hours to just 8-9, making it impossible to continue operations at this airport. This means that passengers will not have easy access to the Brașov area in the midst of the winter season, especially during the holidays. Furthermore, the month of December will incur the most substantial losses as it is one of the most prolific months of the year. The failure to extend the schedule has led to losses exceeding €1.5 million.

In response to DAN AIR’s request, ROMATSA replied that “since July, it had repeatedly requested Brașov Airport to ‘resolve technical issues, which had also been pointed out by the Romanian Civil Aeronautics Authority,’ to allow the airport to be authorized for operations in reduced visibility conditions.

However, according to the same response, ‘by October 9, 2023, Brașov Airport had not responded to these requests, and the economic operator responsible for the technical implementation had only responded on October 5, 2023.

Starting from November 13, the flights will operate according to the schedule initially planned for Brașov Airport, serving the primary European destinations with takeoffs and landings at Bacău Airport. Passengers who still want to fly and use the tickets they have purchased will receive a free transfer from DAN AIR on the Brașov-Bacău route on the day of the flight, and a form is provided for travelers to indicate their preferences for these flights. The new flight schedule, along with new destinations departing exclusively from Bacău Airport, will take effect from December 11, with further information to be communicated later.