Timișoara Traian Vuia International Airport

(1872–1950). A model of his airplane-automobile Vuia 1 is on display at the airport. Timișoara Airport has had several names over time. At its beginnings it was called Timișoara Communal Airport. During the communist period, it was called Giarmata Airport, after the name of the village with which it borders. It received its current name on 6 February 2003. == Location ==

The airport is located 12 km northeast of the center of Timișoara, located in the homonymous district (Aeroport) and borders Giarmata-Vii, a component village of the commune of Ghiroda. Access to the airport is made on European route E70. == History ==

1915–1917: Base for German zeppelins The first air base in Timiș County was operational between November 1915 and April 1917, on the communal grassland of Dudeștii Noi and Sânandrei. It was a German military air base, used for stationing, loading and repairing zeppelins. It featured access roads and railway lines for transport to the base, barracks for technical and navigational staff, a Telefunken radio station, a hydrogen production facility, and a massive hangar measuring 180 meters in length and 34 meters in width. The hangar was constructed on a metal frame with a triangular cross-section. During World War I, zeppelins erected from the base in Dudeștii Noi bombed Bucharest, Ploiești, Chișinău and Thessaloniki. After the closure of this air base, in 1919, the villagers tried to dismantle it piece by piece, but the metal framework of the hall that once housed the German zeppelins collapsed on them, and five people died. Until its dissolution in 1864–1865, the village of Cioca, known in Hungarian as Csoka, was located on the site of the airport. Due to difficulties in financing the works and the improper soil (clay soil, standing water), the project of relocating the airport was abandoned, and the structures already built were ceded to the Central Meteorological Institute. Timișoara Airport was under siege during the 1989 Revolution. TABs were placed at each gate, and buses carrying passengers or employees were carefully checked by militiamen. The international terminal was expanded and modernized in 2004. In July 2021, a new external arrivals terminal was inaugurated, followed by a new departures terminal in March 2024, with the goal being to support a flow of about three million passengers per year. Future developments An 8-kilometer road connecting the Timișoara Airport and A1 will be built to shorten the distance between the airport and the motorway and reduce heavy traffic in Ghiroda and Remetea Mare. In 2021, Timiș County Council took over an area of about 46 ha of land for the construction of an intermodal freight center at Timișoara Airport and its subsequent connection to the regional intermodal freight center in Remetea Mare. There are plans for an airport city through which will be built, in addition to air transport facilities, connecting road and rail transport infrastructure, hotels, restaurants, shops, conference centers and exhibition halls. It is planned to be financed with both public and private funds. == Military use ==

of the US Air Force Reserve at the Timișoara Air Base in 1996 Giarmata Airport was home to the Romanian Air Force 93rd Air Base, founded in 1953. The 93rd Air Base was disbanded in September 2004 with the MiG-21 Lancers and IAR 330 moving to Câmpia Turzii for reassignment to the 71st Air Base. Buildings and land belonging to the former 93rd Air Base, totaling 240 ha, were transferred to Timișoara Airport in 2006. The air base also operated the MiG-23 Flogger, which was retired in early 2002. Over 30 MiG-23s are in storage at Timișoara Airport. Nowadays, the military section of the airport is an annex of the 71st Air Base. == Terminals ==

Terminal A is the oldest terminal, built in 1964 and modernized in 2002. It covers an area of 4,383 m2 and is optimized for three passenger flows, with three baggage check-in conveyors, 10 document checkpoints and three customs checkpoints. A new 12,000 m2 departures terminal (dedicated to Schengen flights) was inaugurated in March 2024. == Airlines and destinations ==

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Timișoara Traian Vuia Airport: == Statistics ==

Development The airport's traffic rose significantly in recent years. For example, in 2016 there were an average of 40–45 aircraft movements per day and an average of 3,200 passengers, compared to 2005 when there were an average of 15–20 flights per day and an average of 1,500 passengers. The main destinations at the airport are Bucharest, London, Munich, Milan and Brussels. Although it experienced a dramatic decrease after the bankruptcy of Carpatair, the negative trend reversed by 2015 when Wizz Air decided to allocate a new aircraft to the base at Timișoara Airport and open six more new routes. In terms of domestic traffic, Timișoara Airport attracts 15.1% of the total number of passengers boarded at Romanian airports, 32.8% of the total tons of cargo loaded and 13.2% of the total number of flights. Traffic figures == Ground transportation ==

Car Access to the airport is via Calea Dorobanților and the European route E70, through a roundabout near the village of Ghiroda. A slightly longer alternative (but with less traffic flow) is to exit Timișoara on Calea Dorobanților and drive through the village of Giarmata-Vii instead, before heading back towards the airport. A third option, starting in the northern part of the city, is to use the ring road (DNCT) which, also through a roundabout, is connected with the road to the airport. Taxi cabs have dedicated parking in front of the terminals. Ride-sharing services are not acknowledged by the airport, however the parking lot can be crossed on foot in a few minutes, and a car can be ordered at the entrance. Several rent-a-car services (Avis, Europcar, Budget, Hertz, etc.) operate within the airport. The rental counters are located in the public area, their schedule being correlated with the flight schedule. However, this bus only runs a few times per day, to connect the more important flights. Paper tickets can be purchased inside the airport. One ticket costs 4 lei and permits travel for up to one hour after the start of the ride. Rail There are plans for a new 5.2-kilometer railway between the East Station and the airport. A train station and a road leading to the airport should be built in its vicinity. Upon completion, the airport will become the second airport in Romania with dedicated rail line, after Henri Coandă International (inaugurated in 2020). Currently, there is a spur line which runs to the airport, but it is only used by Military Unit 01930 for fuel transportation. == See also ==