Romanian air traffic increase, a record high in Europe

The number of passengers of airlines with regular flights to and from Romania will rise by 8.4% this year, to over 3.8 million passengers, according to estimates made by IATA (The International Air Transport Association). These figures are not, however, inclusive of low-cost airline companies. Romania will therefore see one of the highest growths in Europe in terms of the number of passengers. “The Romanian air travel market is expected to see the biggest growth in Europe in 2007, also ranking among the top six rising markets worldwide,” said Anca Apahidean, IATA country manager for Romania and Moldova. As well, 2006 saw a growth in the number of passengers standing at around 8%, with the international passenger traffic standing at 5.9%. Romania also exceeds the European average (5.3%), in terms the number of passengers travelling, therefore ranking among the most dynamic markets in the world. It remains however, surpassed by Middle Eastern countries, which last year saw an approximately 15% average growth in terms of passenger numbers, as well as by Latin America countries, which also saw an over 10% growth pace.