Bucharest Henri Coand? International Airport (Romanian: Aeroportul Interna?ional Henri Coand? Bucure?ti) (IATA: OTP, ICAO: LROP) is Romania's busiest international airport, located in Otopeni, 16.5 km (10.3 mi) north of Bucharest's city centre. It is currently one of two airports serving the capital of Romania. The other is Aurel Vlaicu Airport, which no longer serves scheduled passenger traffic.
The airport is named after Romanian flight pioneer Henri Coand?, builder of Coand?-1910 aircraft and discoverer of the Coand? effect of fluidics. Prior to May 2004, the official name was Bucharest Otopeni International Airport (Romanian: Aeroportul Interna?ional Bucure?ti Otopeni).
Henri Coand? International Airport serves as headquarters for TAROM, the country's national airline. It also serves as a base of operations for low-cost airlines Blue Air, Ryanair and Wizz Air. It is managed by The National Company Bucharest Airports S.A. (Compania Na?ional? Aeroporturi Bucure?ti S.A.). The military section of the airport is used by the 90th Airlift Flotilla of the Romanian Air Force.
Video Henri Coand? International Airport
History
Early years
During World War II, the airport in Otopeni was used as an airbase by the German Air Force. Until 1965, it was a major airfield for the Romanian Air Force, with B?neasa Airport serving as Bucharest's commercial airport. In 1965, with the growth of air traffic, the Otopeni airbase was converted to a commercial airport. The runway was modernized and extended to 3,500 metres (11,500 ft) from the previous 1,200 metres (3,900 ft), making it one of the longest in Europe at that time.
In August 1969, when United States President Nixon visited Romania, a VIP lounge was inaugurated. A new passenger terminal (designed by Cezar L?z?rescu), with a capacity of 1,200,000 passengers per year, was opened on 13 April 1970, for domestic and international flights. An improvement program added a second runway in 1986, expanding capacity to 35 aircraft movements per hour.
In 1992, Otopeni Airport became a regular member of Airports Council International (ACI).
Expansion since the 1990s
The first stage of the plan (Phase I), taking place between 1994 and 1998, involved the construction a new departures terminal and of a new airside concourse with five jetways and nine gates (referred to as 'the Finger') as well as the extension of airport ramps and of their associated taxiways.
The second phase (labeled Phase II/IIe) of the plan led to the construction of a terminal dedicated to domestic flights and of a multi-story car park (2003), the complete overhaul of the control tower (between 2005-2007) as well as the transformation of the old terminal building in a dedicated arrivals hall (in 2000). During the same phase, two high-speed taxiways (Victor and Whiskey) were constructed. Phase II was completed in 2007.
The third stage of the plan (Phase III), which started in 2009, involved the extension of the airside concourse ('the Finger') with 15 new gates (nine of which have jetways), as well as the expansion of the Departure Hall (with 8 new gates). The airside concourse extension, designed by Studio Capelli Architettura & Associati, and measuring 17,000 square metres (200,000 sq ft), was inaugurated on 29 March 2011. It was followed, in November 2012, by the extension of the Departure Hall to a total area of 38,600 square metres (400,000 sq ft).
In March 2012, all air traffic except for business air traffic was transferred from Aurel Vlaicu International Airport (at that time Bucharest's low-cost hub) to Henri Coand? International Airport.
Maps Henri Coand? International Airport
Terminals
The airport's facilities consist of a single terminal with three main facilities (colloquially referred to as "Terminals"): the Departures Hall/Terminal, the Arrivals Hall/Terminal, and the Finger Terminal (the airside concourse). A walkway with shops connects the departures and arrivals buildings. The airside concourse is organized in two (domestic and international) passengers flows. The entire terminal has 38 gates (of which 14 are equipped with jetways), and a total floor area of 86,000 square metres (930,000 sq ft).
Future development
Beyond Phase III, a new terminal building (Henri Coand? 2) at the eastern end of the current location is envisaged. Henri Coand? 2 will be of a modular design, consisting of four separate buildings, each capable of handling 5 million passengers annually. Each module will be built as traffic demands dictate. By 2023, Terminal 2 alone should be able to handle the expected volume of 20 million passengers per year. The terminal will be directly connected to the A3 motorway, to the railway system, and to the Bucharest Metro system through Metro Line 6. Sex
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Lufthansa flight 769 from Pune to Frankfurt makes a 30 to 50 min stop at the airport for refueling.However,It does not have rights transport passengers between Pune and Bucharest; Bucharest and Frankfurt.
Cargo
Statistics
Passengers
In 2016, 10,981,652 passengers passed through the airport, an increase of 18.3% compared to 2015.
Busiest routes
Ground transportation
Rail
A direct train service to the main railway station, Gara de Nord, runs from the Airport railway station, about 900 meters from the airport. Shuttle buses connect this station with the departures and arrivals halls; the tickets are valid for the train and for the transfer bus. The next phase of the expansion aims to locate the train station in the airport itself.
By 2020, Bucharest Metro Line M6 should open, connecting the airport to the Gara de Nord (Bucharest North) train station, and integrating the airport into the Bucharest Metro network.
Bus
Henri Coand? Airport is connected to the public transport company RATB system. The 780 route provides express bus service to Gara de Nord and Gara Basarab railway stations in Bucharest, and the 783 route provides express bus service to the city center (Pia?a Unirii).
Car
The airport is 16.5 km (10.3 mi) north of central Bucharest, to which it is connected by route DN1. The A3 motorway will connect the airport and the city, when finished.
Taxi
As of May 2013, taxis serving Henri Coand? Airport can be ordered using a touch screen system in the arrivals terminal, allowing the taxi drivers to enter the pick-up area. This measure was taken after many complaints from passengers who were being ripped off when using illegal, high-price taxis.
Ride-sharing services, such as Uber and Taxify, are also available at the airport.
See also
- Aviation in Romania
- Transportation in Romania
- List of the busiest airports in Europe by passenger traffic
References
External links
Media related to Henri Coand? International Airport at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website
- Google Map - Aerial View
- Accident history for OTP at Aviation Safety Network
Source of article : Wikipedia
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