Sibiu International Airport, along with airports across Europe, signed the "Toulouse Declaration" on 4 February 2022 in Brussels, reinforcing the aviation industry's commitment to a sustainable future by reducing carbon emissions to zero.
On February 17, 2022, Sibiu International Airport, together with Sibiu County Council and in partnership with Lagardère Travel Retail, inaugurated the Business Lounge at Sibiu Airport.
In the summer season 2022, i.e. from June 2022, direct flights from Sibiu to the holiday destination Skiathos – Greece were operated for the first time.
In May 2022, Ryanair started operating direct flights from Sibiu International Airport to Vienna, Austria.
In June 2022, Sibiu International Airport signed the financing contract and the design and works contract for the objective "Modernisation and development of airport infrastructure – economic activities", Phase I. The overall objective of the project is to develop the transport infrastructure of Sibiu International Airport through the construction/extension of the terminal, in order to ensure an extended air traffic, in maximum safety conditions and an adequate degree of security, in accordance with European and national regulations in the field of air transport. More details here.
On July 25, 2022, the Reader on Board project was reactivated in partnership with the ASTRA Sibiu County Library, which makes it possible to passengers to access reading in an unconventional space and offers passengers at Sibiu International Airport an alternative way to spend their waiting time at the airport. The Reader on Board project was inaugurated on 25 July 2018.
On October 14, 2022, Sibiu International Airport celebrated the 500,000th passenger registered at Sibiu International Airport in 2022. This is the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic that the 500,000 passenger threshold has been exceeded at Sibiu Airport and the fourth time in the airport's history that 500,000 passengers have used the airport's services in a year. In December 2017, the 500,000th passenger processed in a calendar year at Sibiu International Airport was celebrated for the first time.
On December 9, 2022, the construction permit for the objective "Modernisation and development of airport infrastructure - economic activities" was issued, a project co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the Large Infrastructure Operational Programme 2014-2020. Thus, the project to modernise the infrastructure of Sibiu International Airport has reached a new, extremely important stage of progress, entering a straight line.
On December, 20 2022, Wizz Air celebrated 2 million passengers carried from Sibiu International Airport since the launch of its operations at Sibiu in 2014.
In 2021, still marked by the challenges caused by the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, air traffic at Sibiu International Airport has seen a partial recovery, also due to the diversification of travel opportunities available from Sibiu, with newly launched routes in 2021 supporting the development of passenger traffic.
Thus, in 2021 the total number of passengers registered in traffic at Sibiu International Airport was 284,365 passengers, of which 277,629 passengers boarded – disembarked on commercial air transport routes, with an increase of 24.81% compared to 2020. As for the total number of aircraft movements in 2021 was 4,796, of which 3,432 movements on commercial flights, recording a significant increase of 39.66%.
This year, a new low-cost airline operator – Ryanair – launched its operations at Sibiu International Airport, operating its first flights from Sibiu starting in June 2021. During 2021, Ryanair launched direct flights to eight new destinations: Venice Treviso, Corfu, Bologna, Billund, Milan Malpensa, Brussels Charleroi, Dublin and Liverpool.
On March 16, 2021, Sibiu International Airport signed the financing contract for the project "Equipment needed to increase the level of passenger safety at Sibiu International Airport – non-economic activities", as a beneficiary of the project aimed at non-reimbursable funding allocated under the Large Infrastructure Operational Programme 2014-2020, Priority Axis 2 "Development of a multimodal, quality, sustainable and efficient transport system", Specific Objective 2.3 "Increase the sustainable use of airports".
In April 2021, charter flights to Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt were operated for the first time from Sibiu International Airport.
In July 2021, Sibiu International Airport became the first pilot centre in Romania for SARS-CoV-2 screening by canine crews. The canine team specially trained to detect SARS-CoV-2 infection at the "Dr. Aurel Greblea" Chinological Centre in Sibiu was activated on July 17, 2021 and engaged for a specific period of time in passenger disembarkation formalities at Sibiu International Airport as part of the pilot project to detect potentially infected persons arriving in Romania by air.
In 2021, through the project "Equipment needed to increase the level of security and safety of passengers at Sibiu International Airport - non-economic activities", co-financed 2% from the Sibiu County Council budget, 85% from the European Regional Development Fund and 13% from the national budget, for a total amount of 37,460,285 lei, high-performance equipment was purchased that contributes to increasing the safety and security of passengers, increasing the quality of services provided, as well as reducing the carbon footprint in terms of airport activity.
At the end of 2021, the application for funding for the project "Modernization and development of airport infrastructure – economic activities" – Phase I, aimed at the expansion of the passenger terminal and reconfiguration of access roads, was submitted for a total amount of 248,605,662.18 lei including VAT. Simultaneously with the submission of the application for funding, the procurement procedure for the technical design and execution works for this objective was launched.
In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sibiu International Airport, along with the entire aviation industry, has suffered a severe reduction in traffic and activity. The negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are reflected in the figures recorded by Sibiu International Airport in 2020.
Thus, in 2020 the total number of passengers in traffic was 227,838 passengers, of which 226,154 passengers boarded – disembarked on commercial air transport flights, with a decrease of -69.37% compared to 2019, when a total number of 743,872 passengers was recorded.
As for the total number of aircraft movements in 2020 was 3,434 of which 2,624 movements of commercial flights, recording a significantly reduced number of them, i.e. -59.67%, compared to 8,514 total movements in 2019.
In order to mitigate the negative effects on Sibiu airport traffic, in 2020 the State aid scheme to support the activity of airlines in the context of the economic crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic was developed, authorized by the European Commission, accessible to all interested air operators, representing a mechanism to support the resumption of air operations at Sibiu International Airport. More details on the state aid scheme are available here.
2019 was a year with positive echoes at international level for Sibiu International Airport. Between May and June 2019, Sibiu International Airport played a key role in the region, as the main gateway for European officials and participants in the Informal Summit of Heads of State and Government of the European Union, held on May 9, 2019 in Sibiu, in the context of Romania's exercise of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, as well as the host of the Official Departure Ceremony of His Holiness Pope Francis, on June 2, 2019.
Starting with June 17, 2019, direct flights are operated on the route Sibiu – Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, Germany, flights operated by Wizz Air.
In 2019, the threshold of 300,000 passengers who transited Sibiu Airport in the first semester of a calendar year was exceeded for the first time.
On July 25, 2019, was the one-year anniversary of the opening and implementation of the new public library service in unconventional spaces – Reader on Board | Cititor la bord, a program carried out by ASTRA Sibiu County Library in collaboration with Sibiu International Airport.
In October 2019, Sibiu International Airport hosted the 27th edition of the Annual Conference and General Assembly of the Romanian Airports Association, held in Sibiu on October 24-25, 2019, organized by the Romanian Airports Association in collaboration with Sibiu Airport.
In the winter season 2019-2020, flights were operated for the first time to a holiday destination available from Sibiu during the winter schedule, with a direct flight from Sibiu-Hurghada, Egypt. The charter flights to Hurghada were operated between December 2019 – January 2020, and will be resumed in 2020 summer season.
In 2019, it is exceeded for the first time the threshold of 725,000 passengers registered in traffic at Sibiu International Airport in a calendar year on commercial air transport flights.
In April 2018, it is launched the first direct flight on Sibiu – Brussels Charleroi route, operated by Wizz Air.
In May 2018, Wizz Air announces the launch of Sibiu – Tel Aviv route from Sibiu International Airport, starting July 14, 2018.
Also in May 2018, TAROM – Romanian Air Transport, Sibiu International Airport longest partner, announces the launch of Sibiu – Stuttgart route and the resumption of the domestic Sibiu – Bucharest route starting July 15, 2018.
In June 2018, Wizz Air celebrates the two-year anniversary of its Sibiu operating base with the allocation of a second Airbus A320 aircraft to the local fleet and the launch of 5 new routes to Basel (starting June 21, 2018), Copenhagen, Frankfurt Hahn, Paris Beauvais (starting June 22, 2018) and Tel Aviv (starting July 14, 2018).
In July 2018, it is launched Reader on Board! | Cititor la bord! program, carried out in partnership with Astra Sibiu County Library, the first free public library service present in an airport in Romania.
In August 2018, with more than 85,000 embarked and disembarked passengers, Sibiu International Airport is registering a passenger traffic record in a calendar month.
Moreover, in 2018 it is exceeded for the first time the threshold of 700,000 passengers registered at Sibiu International Airport in a calendar year.
In December 2017, it was exceeded for the first time the threshold of 500,000 passengers registered at Sibiu International Airport in a calendar year.
On 27th November, 2017, Wizz Air announces the expansion of operations at Sibiu International Airport and the addition of the second Airbus A320 aircraft to the Sibiu base, starting with June 2018. Along with the five new flights to Basel, Brussels Charleroi, Copenhagen, Frankfurt Hahn and Paris Beauvais, as well as the additional frequencies on four routes already operated, the air operator will carry out a total of 21 flights starting with June 2018.
On 3rd September, 2017, Lufthansa celebrated 10 years of operations at Sibiu International Airport on Sibiu – Munich route.
On 19 August, Wizz Air along with one new Airbus A320 aircraft to be based in Sibiu, opened its latest base at Sibiu Airport, its seventh Romanian base. Wizz Air has opened routes to Madrid, Memmingen, Milan and Nuremberg, with the four new sectors joining existing services to London Luton and Dortmund. The new base in Sibiu represents an investment by Wizz Air of €100 million, 36 people to be based in Sibiu as crewmembers for the new aircraft. The new base also contributes to the local economy, supporting indirect jobs in airport operations, transportation, hospitality, and tourism industries. Throughout Romania, Wizz Air’s operations this year will support more than 3,300 jobs in associated industries.
The airport secured the first LCC carrier presence Wizz Air, together with two confirmed new route announcements. New routes in 2014 London Luton and Dortmund.
Moreover, London Luton initially launched with two frequencies per week, only two months after the official announcement of the opening, a third frequency was introduced in the company's flight schedule.
Sibiu International Airport celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
Sibiu International Airport launched the first edition of his own magazine. You can view the magazine here.
The modernization of the Parking for 300 cars was finished.
The Airport was officially declared International Airport by the Romanian Government. It was the third Romanian airport which fulfilled the mandatory conditions to be graded like this.
The Airport fulfilled the process of management system of quality, environmental and occupational health and safety implementation.
Sibiu Airport became one of the most modern, newly equipped gateways in Romania, with a new terminal, runway, taxiways and aprons opened in June 2008.
Starts the improving and modernizing work of the Airport.
Authorities decide that the concrete runway of 2000 meters long and 45 meters’ width, the apron of 300 x 70 meters and 5 parking places (operated only by small planes) are not enough to support the fast developing of the County.
The Airport became a special enterprise with autonomous administration under the authority of the Council of Sibiu County.
The Airport is open for international traffic, with flights to Stuttgart and Munich.
Radar facilities became operational.
The airport was capable to operate during the night, due to the approach and runway guiding lights that have been installed. The concrete runaway was 2000m long and 30m wide.
It was inaugurated the airport building with two floors, control tower, waiting room for 50 passengers on each way (embarking and debarking) and a store-room.
Sibiu was connected by air with some other cities like Bucharest, Brasov, Deva, Oradea and Targu-Mures.
The Airport inauguration in the same location like today.
The flying activities have been developed on a field (with grass) of 174 ha surface.
The Lockheed operating planes belonged to the first Romanian operating airline - LARES. First routes were Bucharest – Sibiu – Arad and Bucharest – Sibiu – Oradea.
