The Romanian Civil Aeronautical Authority has asked “Henri Coanda/Otopeni” Airport to restrict the air traffic for certain aircraft categories, according to Boarding Pass.ro.
The move comes after the other days the Pro Infrastructura association had released several photos revealing holes in the runways and on the landing strips from the Otopeni airport in Bucharest. The association warned that “disastrous condition” of the runaways could jeopardize the safety of the passengers.
They say that on March 30 the asphalt on the runaway 08R has been damaged when an El-Al Boeing 747-400 has landed and a piece of the airstrip has completely fallen down.
So, the Romanian Civil Aeronautical Authority asked the Otopeni airport management to ban certain planes from operating, such as Boeing 757, 767, Airbus A300, A310, Boeing 747, 777, 787, Airbus A330, A340, A350, Boeing 747-8 and Airbus A380.
However, despite the restriction ordered to the airport managers, this hasn’t happened, and Turkish Airlines continues flying with Airbus A330 in Bucharest every morning and every evening, while Israeli operator El-Al will land with a Boeing 747-400 on April 5, around 12:30.
Runaway 08R/26L, the only one which is fully operational on a length of 3,500 metres, has been repeatedly patched up with thin asphalt coats.
Three weeks ago, TAROM director Werner Wolff said that investments are needed on the Otopeni Airport where the runways are full of holes which are cutting the planes’ wheels and that the national flag carrier has to pay to replace the aircraft’s wheel even three or five times a week.