Alexeni airfield was a military airfield, which was proposed as a new low-cost airport for Bucharest, located in the Alexeni town, in Ialomița County, at 60 km north-east of the capital city of Romania.

Alexeni airfield
Summary
OwnerIalomița County Council
OperatorAutomagistral-Pivden SRL and Avant Airports SRL
LocationAlexeni, Ialomița County, Romania
Opened1954 (1954)
Closed2001
Coordinates44°42′16.47″N 26°43′7.45″E / 44.7045750°N 26.7187361°E / 44.7045750; 26.7187361
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
042/222 8,200 2,500 concrete

From 1965 to 2001 a Romanian Air Force military helicopter unit, the 94th Helicopter Regiment, was based on this airfield.[1] Former Minister of Transport Radu Berceanu suggested the location for Bucharest's new low-cost flights airport (as the operational tariffs for Bucharest's previous low-cost hub, Aurel Vlaicu Airport, were set to grow).[2] However, some analysts considered the project unrealistic and doomed to fail due to the poor conditions of the infrastructure in the area.[3] AllBucharest's low-cost flights were moved to Henri Coandă International Airport in March 2012.

Ialomița County Council, which is the airfield's owner since 2017, launched the auction for the airport concession in August/September 2022, three potential investors expressed their interest, but no one submitted the tender offer at the end of the legal period.[4][5] The authorities expect the value of the investment needed at cca. €150 mil.[6] The airport concession bid was announced again in December 2022, with eight potential investors who expressed interest.[7] In 2024, the airport has been officially concessioned to a Romanian-Ukrainian joint-venture for a period of 49 years. The operator assumed the obligation to invest €400 mil and to open the airport in 2028. It will be the first private operational airport in Romania and the first energetically independent airport in the world.[8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Sorin Turturică. "Cum a început România să construiască elicoptere". presamil.ro (in Romanian).
  2. ^ "New airport for low cost flights near Bucharest". Hotnews. 28 February 2007. Archived from the original on 18 March 2007.
  3. ^ satesc-din-Alexeni-un-proiect-mort-din-nastere.htm "Aeroportul "sătesc" din Alexeni - un proiect mort din naştere". Hotnews. March 1, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-03-04.
  4. ^ Ştirea (2022-08-22). "Consiliul Judeţean Ialomiţa ANUNŢĂ sistematizarea şi refuncţionalizarea Aeroportului Alexeni". Ziarul Știrea (in Romanian). Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  5. ^ "Aeroportul Alexeni mai așteaptă «pețitori»". Știri | Jurnalul de Ialomița. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  6. ^ "Ialomița: Fostul "Aerodrom Alexeni", scos la licitație. Valoarea investiției într-un aeroport regional, estimată la aproximativ 150 de milioane de euro". obiectiv.net (in Romanian). 2020-07-28. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  7. ^ "Consiliul Județean Ialomița cere 1 milion de lei/an pentru concesionarea fostului aeroport Alexeni". Independent - ziar din Ialomița, Slobozia / Știri și informații din Slobozia, Urziceni, Fetești, Țăndărei, Amara. Retrieved 2022-12-16.
  8. ^ "Consiliul Județean Ialomița a semnat contractul de concesiune pentru Aeroportul Alexeni. Dezvoltatorii primului aeroport privat din România estimează o investiție de 400 de milioane de euro într-un terminal cargo și unul de pasageri". obiectiv.net (in Romanian). 2024-03-18. Retrieved 2024-03-19.