PRESS RELEASE Cluj International Airport is celebrating its 3.000.000th passenger for the first time in 2023 and becomes the first regional airport in Romania to exceed this significant passenger threshold

Cluj-Napoca, November 24, 2023: The Avram Iancu Cluj International Airport together with the Cluj County Council and the TAROM airline celebrated today in an absolute first, the passenger with the number 3.000.000 registered at the Cluj airport, in the year 2023. The historic event represented a landmark particularly important for the airport but also for the region it serves.

 Achieving this record in terms of passenger traffic has a double significance: recovering the passenger traffic recorded before the pandemic and surpassing the best year so far, 2019, as well as the fact that, for the first time, a regional airport in Romania exceeds this significant threshold of registered passengers in a calendar year.

The passenger with the number 3.000.000 registered since the beginning of 2023, in an absolute first at the Cluj airport, was transported by the air operator TAROM, on its flight number RO 643, from Bucharest Otopeni to Cluj-Napoca. 

The lucky passenger was selected and awarded upon disembarking during the anniversary event, in the presence of representatives of local authorities, partner institutions and organizations, representatives of the airport and the airline, respectively mass media representatives.

Mr. Viorel Federiga, President of the Board of Directors of Avram Iancu Cluj International Airport mentioned the following, on the occasion of this important event: "The anniversary of significant passenger milestones for Cluj International Airport has already become a tradition for over 13 years since the anniversary of the 1 millionth and 2 millionth passenger, excluding the pandemic years. This year, in an unprecedented event, Cluj International Airport demonstrates once again that it is the regional airport with the most dynamic and spectacular development, surpassing this absolute record of 3 million passengers. Through this performance, the airport remains an engine of development and confirms the leading position of regional airports in Romania."

Mr. David Ciceo, General Director of Avram Iancu Cluj International Airport, stated the following: "Today we mark the absolute first time the success and excellence of the operations from the airport, through an anniversary moment celebrated together with our passengers and partners, namely the crossing of the 3.000.000 passenger threshold. If in 1996, the airport registered approximately 32.000 passengers annually, now, in 2023, traffic has increased 100 times, reaching the absolute record of 3 million passengers registered in a single calendar year."

The national air operator TAROM is the oldest commercial partner of the government, which is a reason for pride and gratitude for the Cluj airport, but we also want to appreciate the contribution made by the companies Wizz Air, Lufthansa, Ryanair, Hi Sky, Turkish Airlines , LOT Polish Airlines, Air Connect, Aero Express Regional or the tourist charter companies at this exceptional success such as the 3.000.000 passenger milestone.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the passengers, collaborators, partners and the entire airport team for the special contribution within our development projects, which will serve Cluj passengers and those from the entire region."  

Mr. Narcis Obeada, Commercial Director of the Romanian National Air Transport Company, TAROM, present at the event, said the following: "TAROM, in the more than 60 years of operation of the Bucharest-Cluj-Napoca domestic route, marks the anniversary of its partner, the Airport Cluj International, and announces that for this destination increasingly chosen by Romanian and international passengers, it will increase the number of flights, from 1.037 in 2023 to 1.250 in 2024. 

Between January and October 2023, 10.546 regular flights were operated, of which 4.307 were domestic flights, Cluj having a percentage of 24% of them. Of the total number of passengers this year, registered at the end of October this year, namely 1.997.000, 624.256 were on domestic flights, of which 185.643 arrived at the Cluj airport." 

Cluj International Airport – Your travel partner!

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Press office