Romania is entering one of the most intense periods of airport infrastructure development in recent decades. According to ONV LAW’s Public Procurement & Infrastructure team, the total value of finalized, ongoing, and planned investments until 2030 exceeds €3 billion.

These projects present not only a unique opportunity to modernize air transport but also to strengthen Romania’s position as a regional hub for aviation and economic growth. However, their implementation involves a high degree of legal complexity, particularly at the intersection of public procurement, state aid schemes, and European aeronautical regulations.

“Airport infrastructure projects represent a major opportunity not only for the modernization of air transport but also for strengthening Romania’s position as a regional hub. Their successful implementation requires a solid legal framework and close cooperation between authorities and the private sector. These projects involve a high level of legal complexity, stemming from the intersection of public procurement regulations with both European and national aeronautical rules,” said Alina Bilan, Partner and coordinator of the Public Procurement & Infrastructure practice at ONV LAW.

Below is the full article as published in Forbes Romania:

Three billion euros in airport infrastructure investments

Romania is going through one of the most intense periods of airport infrastructure development in recent decades, with the total value of finalized, ongoing, or planned investments until 2030 exceeding three billion euros.

Following a strong wave of investments from European funds and the national budget, many regional airports have been modernized or expanded, and some have even been built from scratch. These investments are a godsend not only for facilitating passenger transport but especially for boosting local and regional economies. Frequently, the investment strategies of companies start from the air connectivity with a specific city, as time has become one of the most monetized values in contemporary society. In this way, saving time becomes essential.

According to an analysis conducted by ONV LAW, a law firm providing consultancy and legal assistance to stakeholders involved in the design and construction of airports in Romania, almost all of the country’s 17 commercial airports have benefited in recent years from non-reimbursable European funding through the Large Infrastructure Operational Program (POIM).

Funds have been directed toward terminal expansions and modernizations, new constructions, rehabilitations, runway and taxiway extensions, parking facilities, and the purchase of modern equipment. In Bucharest, the National Company of Bucharest Airports (CNAB) has carried out investments from its own funds and loans for the Otopeni and Băneasa airports.

“Currently, there are still ongoing investment projects initiated through POIM financing but not finalized by the December 31, 2023 deadline for airports in Craiova, Satu Mare, Târgu Mureș, and Baia Mare. To avoid the risk of these projects being declared non-functional and the reimbursement of EU funds, the government allocated amounts from the reserve fund this May to finalize modernization works, with significant physical progress being reported,” — explained Alina Bilan, Head of Public Procurement and Infrastructure at ONV LAW, for Forbes Romania.

At Henri Coandă Airport, CNAB launched one of the most important procurement procedures for the design of infrastructure needed to accommodate the projected traffic for 2040—30 million passengers annually—as well as works to strengthen the arrivals terminal’s multi-level parking structure.

Although Henri Coandă has already undergone modernization works in the movement area and aircraft parking platforms, the design contract for the new terminal, worth 40 million euros, has proven difficult to award, with a new (third) deadline for submission of bids now set.

According to Bilan, there are no longer available EU funds for airport extension and rehabilitation investments, since the new Transport Program 2021–2027 does not include funding for airport infrastructure.

The only EU financing currently available for airports relates to building new renewable energy generation capacities. Applications have already been submitted by the airports in Bacău (24.4 million lei), Iași (31 million lei), Baia Mare (61 million lei), Craiova (15.6 million lei), and Oradea (2.4 million lei), with co-financing to be provided by county councils.

For regional airports, access to financing has been decisive. Many of these facilities now benefit from modernized runways, terminals, and navigation systems, along with modern safety and security equipment—all crucial for increasing connectivity and unlocking local economic potential, as air traffic rises each year across Romania’s airports. Nevertheless, the EU funds allocated so far have not covered the full investment needs.

“The main challenge for airports, especially those that do not generate sufficient revenue to sustain themselves, continues to be financing, both for investments and for operations, particularly in the context of the new European climate legislation (Fit for 55 package),” explains Bilan.

Airports play a key role in the transition to sustainable aviation and can implement a wide range of decarbonization measures, both directly (by reducing their own emissions) and indirectly (by influencing airlines and passengers).

In her view, operating an airport involves high fixed costs regardless of passenger numbers:

“Due to high infrastructure fixed costs and lack of large-scale economies, regional airports often face financial viability challenges. The new regulations will disproportionately affect smaller airports, raising operating costs and increasing travel costs on low-traffic routes,” notes Bilan.

To finance airports, EU Member States must comply with the strict provisions of the EU Guidelines on State Aid to Airports. The European Court of Auditors has pointed out that EU-funded airport investments have not always delivered expected results and offered low value for money.

According to auditors, due to poor planning and forecasting, some funded airports were located too close to each other, while certain construction projects were oversized compared to actual aircraft and passenger flows. Some airports were unprofitable long-term, underutilized, or not used at all. The conclusion: given forecasts of rising European air traffic, both the European Commission and Member States need to improve how they invest in airports, funding only projects that are profitable and address a genuine investment need.

“These projects involve high legal complexity, due to the intersection of public procurement regulations with European and national aeronautical rules. Moreover, more and more airports require legal assistance with state aid schemes, financial corrections during contract implementation, or litigation arising from tenders,” explains Bilan.

ONV LAW has provided legal assistance in key projects such as the extension of the Schengen terminal at Timișoara Airport, infrastructure development at Brașov, and the construction of the new terminal in Satu Mare.

“Additionally, our team assists one of the main handling service operators in various projects,” adds Bilan.

At Timișoara, the new Schengen terminal (12,000 sqm, finalized in March 2024) increased airport capacity by 150%. It is equipped with six security checkpoints, 18 check-in counters, and eight boarding gates, enabling processing of over 1,500 passengers simultaneously, according to Concelex Deputy General Director, Cătălin Vișan.

Concelex has been involved in three major airport infrastructure projects: the Timișoara Schengen terminal extension, the modernization of Tulcea’s Danube Delta Airport, and the expansion of Maramureș Airport—together worth almost 438 million lei.

At Tulcea, the project involved both the terminal expansion and the modernization of the boarding platform, taxiway, and a de-icing platform. Completed in spring 2024, it was valued at about 180 million lei and financed from EU funds. However, despite the modernization, the airport still lacks regular flights and registered only 92 passengers in the first half of 2025—the lowest traffic in Romania. According to Bilan, the main reason is the war in Ukraine, which discourages operators due to proximity to the border and higher insurance premiums. Limited road and rail infrastructure also reduces the airport’s attractiveness.

At Maramureș Airport, terminal modernization is nearly complete (98% progress). The new 12,200 sqm terminal will handle 450 passengers per hour and is scheduled for delivery in autumn 2025.

One of the most ambitious projects is underway in Craiova, where the largest terminal in this part of the country is being built. Developed by Construcții Erbașu, the project (97 million lei, excluding VAT) is in its final phase, with delivery expected in autumn 2025. The new 31,715 sqm terminal integrates innovative passenger flow optimization solutions, energy efficiency, and advanced technologies.

Works are also progressing at Târgu Mureș International Airport, where Strabag is finalizing the largest modernization in the airport’s history—an investment of €24.5 million, funded by EU and reserve funds. This includes expansion of the aircraft parking platform (8,300 sqm) and passenger terminal (9,400 sqm), plus new safety and security equipment.

Airport modernization brings clear benefits—from enhanced connectivity and investment attraction to the development of business aviation. Airports like Sibiu, Suceava, Oradea, and Brașov are becoming increasingly attractive for private flights due to lower operational costs and less congestion compared to major hubs.

Still, sustainability remains a problem:

“Operating an airport involves significant fixed costs, regardless of passenger traffic. Out of Romania’s 17 commercial airports, 13 serve fewer than one million passengers annually. Without state aid, many of them are not financially viable,” warns Bilan.

This dependence on public funds also reduces private investors’ interest. Currently, the only active airport concession in Romania is at Alexeni (Ialomița), where a Romanian-Ukrainian consortium is developing a new airport for cargo and low-cost traffic, estimated at €400 million. The project envisions a 20,000 sqm cargo hub with a capacity of 10,000 tons per year, a 30,000 sqm passenger terminal, and a projected capacity of 6.5 million passengers annually.

However, Romania’s previous failed concession at Bacău (2010) still looms over decision-makers. Back then, the operator failed to deliver promised investments, and the airport returned to local authority management.

“A concession cannot be based on an overly optimistic model, but on a realistic revenue plan to sustain investments. Public-private partnerships can become viable solutions for regional airports only if they are well-structured legally, with a fair balance between risks, investments, and profitability. Romania has the necessary legislation but needs a coherent strategy, methodological guidelines, and bankable projects,” concludes Bilan.

As for ONV LAW’s future involvement, the firm recently finalized a legal analysis for a Chinese-capital company interested in becoming an airline operator in Romania—reflecting the potential of the local aviation market.

***

About ONV LAW

ONV LAW launched the Aviation Law and Airport Infrastructure practice area in 2013. Ever since we have had clients both from the private sector and the public sector.

Over the past 25 years, our practice has expanded to encompass 14 specialized areas of law, enabling us to resolve complex legal challenges for more than 300 multinational, local, and public companies.

Today, our steadfast commitment to diversity and collaboration is powerfully reflected in our partnership board, which is gender-balanced and spans generations.

In 2024, we opened our branch in Chișinău – Republic of Moldova to leverage foreign investment opportunities, particularly in sectors like IT, Business Process Outsourcing, automotive, retail, banking, and the tobacco industry.