Passenger traffic of Romanian low-cost carrier Blue Air increased 70% y/y to 5mn last year, News.ro reported on January 21.

The hike was supported by the increase in internal routes and their frequency and also an increase of direct flights between the seaside and some of Romania’s biggest cities. In 2016, Blue Air ranked second in Romania in terms of passenger traffic, after Wizz Air.

In June, Boeing and Blue Air announced an order for six 737 MAX aeroplanes from Blue Air. The Romanian carrier will also lease a further six 737 MAXs and six Next-Generation 737-800s from Air Lease Corporation.

The orders will be completed in the second quarter of 2019 and the company reserves its right to buy an additional two aircraft under the same conditions, Blue Air commercial manager Tudor Constantinescu said at that time, according to Ziarul Financiar.

“We managed to also have a record number of routes, with 104 regular routes and 700 charter flights. Our passengers received well the new 33 launched in 2017. At the end of last year, while Romanians were preparing for New Year’s Eve, the Blue Air team enthusiastically welcomed a new Boeing 737-800,” Blue Air general manager Gheorghe Racaru said.

Blue Air opened last year a base in Romania’s Constanta, from where it operated 506 flights to Rome, Brussels, Cluj Napoca, Iasi, Oradea, Paris Beauvais and Timisoara. At the same time, the carrier launched new routes from Iasi, Bucharest and Cluj Napoca.

Traffic at Romanian airports has been increasing in the past years as airlines operating in the country launch new routes.

Bucharest National Airport Company (CNAB) plans to build a new terminal at Henry Coanda International Airport in the Romanian capital, with a €820mn investment, representatives of the company announced in September at a meeting with investors. 

The new terminal will increase the capacity of the airport, which is under heavy pressure due to increased traffic. Passenger traffic at Bucharest’s two airports increased by 16.8% y/y to a record 12.8mn last year, local media reported on January 9. The growth is above the average performance of European airports

Blue Air, founded in 2004 by local businessman Nelu Iordache, was taken over by Airline Management Solutions (AMS) from insolvent Romstrade in 2013. Blue Air’s passenger traffic jumped 80% to 3.59mn passengers last year.