Chisinau Airport Terminal to Expand by 5,000 Square Meters

Bolea: Chișinău Airport serves two countries and needs to be expanded by 5,000 square metres

Chișinău International Airport is set to be expanded by approximately 5,000 square metres. Work could begin in October, provided the review of appeals regarding the tender is completed. The statement was made by the Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development.

Vladimir Bolea

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According to the minister, the expansion is necessary due to the increase in passenger numbers.

“Last year there were 6.2 million. Yes, this year we are approaching the figure of around 7 million,” the minister told TV8, noting that before the war in Ukraine the number of passengers did not exceed 3 million.

“Chișinău Airport serves two countries”

The minister noted that a significant proportion of the traffic is generated by passengers from Ukraine. According to his estimates, Ukrainians account for approximately 35–40 per cent of the total number of passengers.

“We must understand that Chișinău Airport currently serves two countries. One with a population of 2.5 million, the other with a population of 31 million. We are now acting as a substitute for Kyiv Airport, Odessa Airport and Lviv Airport. And we have even started to welcome Romanian citizens, who are flying from Chișinău Airport to various destinations, thanks to the very competitive prices and the large number of flights, including direct flights,” said Bolea.

Currently, depending on the time of year, the airport operates up to 75 or even more flights a day. According to the minister, 38 airlines operate at Chișinău International Airport.

The tender, at the centre of a dispute

The project involves extending the terminal towards the old airport, building a second level, increasing the number of passenger gates from around 7 to 13, as well as expanding the waiting areas and increasing the number of seats.

The tender for the reconstruction remains, for the time being, contested. Four companies from the Republic of Moldova took part in the tender. The State Commission had previously annulled the tender results after examining the appeals lodged by the participants.

According to the minister, once the procedure has been finalised and the contract signed, the works are expected to take approximately 12 months. The reconstruction will be funded from the airport’s own resources.

The minister also announced changes regarding taxi services. Following a tender, two companies have been awarded the right to pick up passengers directly from the airport premises. One of these has already commenced operations, and journeys can be booked via an app.

We would like to remind you that, on Saturday, the Head of the Cabinet of Ministers, Vasile Tofan, visited the airport to assess first-hand how the infrastructure is coping with passenger flows during peak hours. Between 05:00 and 07:00, 16 flights were operated, and during these hours the airport is operating at full capacity. The Prime Minister stated that the reconstruction and extension of the current terminal must begin by October at the latest.

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