Chișinău International Airport
Chișinău International Airport (IATA: KIV, ICAO: LUKK) is Moldova's main international airport, located 13 km (8.1 mi) southeast of the centre of Chișinău, the capital city.[1] It serves as headquarters for Air Moldova, the country's national airline. The IATA airport code KIV is derived from Kishinev (the Russian and former English name of the city).
Chișinău International Airport Aeroportul Internațional Chișinău | |||||||||||||||
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Summary | |||||||||||||||
Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
Operator | Chișinău International Airport Company | ||||||||||||||
Serves | Chișinău | ||||||||||||||
Location | Chișinău, Moldova | ||||||||||||||
Opened | 1960 | ||||||||||||||
Hub for | |||||||||||||||
Focus city for | |||||||||||||||
Elevation AMSL | 399 ft / 122 m | ||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 46°55′40″N 028°55′51″E | ||||||||||||||
Website | airport.md | ||||||||||||||
Map | |||||||||||||||
KIV Location in Moldova | |||||||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||||||
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Statistics (2019) | |||||||||||||||
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History
Early years
The first scheduled flights to Chișinău started on 24 June 1926, on the route Bucharest–Galați–Chișinău and Iași. The flights were operated by CFRNA, later LARES.[3] A commemorative plaque, describing the first flight to Chișinău, was placed in the airport.
The main terminal was built in the 1970s, with a capacity of 1,200,000 passengers per year.
Development since the 1990s
On 31 May 1995, Chișinău Airport was awarded the status of an international airport.
In 2002, following works by the Turkish company Akfen Holding, the airport was modernised. An annex terminal building with an area of 4,270 m2 (46,000 sq ft) was added to the renovated old terminal building of 7,600 m2 (82,000 sq ft). The project covered construction of 3,000 m2 (32,000 sq ft) curtain walls, 3,200 m2 (34,000 sq ft) composite panels, 12,185 m2 (131,160 sq ft) asphalt road, a treatment plant with a capacity of 3,450 m3 (122,000 cu ft) a day, complete mechanical heating, ventilation and electrical systems, along with the X-ray security, luggage handling, master clock, and flight information systems. The annual capacity of the airport had increased to 5.4 million passengers.[4]
Chișinău International Airport is a member of Airports Council International.
Future plans
There are plans to enlarge the airport.[5] The project involves €19 million loan to Chișinău International Airport for the rehabilitation and upgrade of the existing runway, taxiways, aprons, and ramps, engineering works, safety equipment and other connected core assets of Chișinău International Airport. The European Investment Bank ('EIB') is considering co-financing alongside the EBRD for up to an equal amount.[6]
Facilities
There were ten check-in desks and five gates at the airport in 2009.[7] VIP and CIP guests are offered special services at the VIP terminal. A visitors' terrace in the second floor opened in December 2006.
Previously passengers had to present their passport, ticket and their registration (of foreigners – which used to be required). Passengers were allowed in the check-in hall. With the introduction of e-tickets and the abolition of the registration for foreigners the airport reorganised in late 2006. This resulted in a bigger check-in hall and customs control is now after check-in.
Towards the end of 2017, plans for a second runway were unveiled. This runway would take the place of the current taxiway just north of the existing runway. The project began in early 2017. Runway 09–27 started operations on 13 September 2018.[8]
Airlines and destinations
Statistics
Traffic
Year | Passengers (total)[2][18][19] | Change | Aircraft movements (total)[2][20] | Change | Cargo (tonnes)[2] | Change |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | 254,178 | N/A | 9,521 | N/A | 2,400 | |
2001 | 274,662 | 9,866 | 1,700 | |||
2002 | 296,431 | 10,416 | 1,300 | |||
2003 | 341,695 | 9,502 | 1,300 | |||
2004 | 421,011 | 10,759 | 1,400 | |||
2005 | 482,741 | 11,126 | 1,700 | |||
2006 | 548,331 | 10,065 | 1,800 | |||
2007 | 688,782 | 11,623 | 2,300 | |||
2008 | 847,881 | 12,935 | 2,468.8 | |||
2009 | 808,096 | 12,355 | 2,033.2 | |||
2010 | 937,030 | 13,751 | 2,399.2 | |||
2011 | 1,046,086 | 15,022 | 2,666.2 | |||
2012 | 1,220,506 | 16,113 | 2,765.4 | |||
2013 | 1,321,236 | 16,858 | 2,951.8 | |||
2014 | 1,781,166 | 19,756 | 2,923.5 | |||
2015 | 2,226,441 | 22,468 | 2,891.8 | |||
2016 | 2,206,266 | 22,033 | 2,774.3 | |||
2017 | 2,744,465 | 27,113 | 3,488.7 | |||
2018 | 2,828,626 | 27,949 | 4,186.6 | |||
2019 | 2,995,530 | 27,092 | 3,767.7 |
Routes
Rank | City | Airport(s) | Weekly Departures (December 2019)[21] |
Airlines |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Sheremetyevo International Airport Moscow Domodedovo Airport Vnukovo International Airport |
54 | Aeroflot Air Moldova FlyOne | |
2. | Henri Coandă International Airport | 25 | TAROM | |
3. | Istanbul Airport | 18 | Air Moldova, Turkish Airlines | |
4. | Luton Airport London Southend Airport London Stansted Airport |
18 | Wizz Air FlyOne Air Moldova | |
5. | Vienna International Airport | 12 | Air Moldova, Austrian Airlines | |
6. | Frankfurt Airport | 11 | Air Moldova Lufthansa | |
7. | Fiumicino Airport Ciampino Airport |
11 | Air Moldova Wizz Air | |
8. | Charles de Gaulle Airport Paris Beauvais |
10 | Air Moldova Wizz Air FlyOne | |
9. | Milan Malpensa Airport Orio al Serio International Airport |
9 | Air Moldova Wizz Air | |
10. | Venice Marco Polo Airport Treviso Airport |
9 | Wizz Air | |
Other facilities
- The Civil Aviation Authority has its headquarters on the airport property.[22]
Ground transportation
There are bus and trolleybus lines and rutierele frequently departing from the airport (aerogara). Rutieră line 165 passes through the Botanica district and continues to the city center. The 'AEROGARA' bus departs from Piața D. Cantemir and has intermediate stops in the city center on Stefan Cel Mare street. It also stops at the central railway station 'GARA' bus station. A trolleybus bus with the route 30 operates with a 20-minute interval from June 2017. This is different from rutierele, which may stop at any time, given the driver is notified a few seconds prior.
See also
- Civil Aviation Administration of Moldova
- List of airports in Moldova
- List of the busiest airports in the former USSR
References
- "EAD Basic - Error Page". Retrieved 3 June 2015.
- Statistică şi indicatori at caa.md
- Airline companies in Rumania (1918–1945)
- Chișinău International Airport at azworldairports.com
- "Error 404". Retrieved 3 June 2015.
- "All Press Releases". 16 March 2015. Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
- About Chisinau International Airport Archived 2009-07-07 at the Wayback Machine at booking.md
- "LIVE! Evenimentul de deschidere oficială a noii piste de aterizare/decolare a Aeroportului Chişinău". Realitatea Live!. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
- Liu, Jim (13 December 2019). "Air Moldova schedules Berlin launch in late-March 2020". Routesonline. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
- "Flight Schedules and Airline Availability". tez-tour.com.
- Liu, Jim (13 February 2020). "Air Serbia network expansion from June 2020". Routesonline. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
- Liu, Jim (20 December 2019). "FlyOne adds Frankfurt Hahn service from April 2020". Routesonline.
- "Moldova's FlyOne to enter Asia with Tel Aviv flights". ch-aviation.com. 6 January 2020.
- Liu, Jim (22 July 2020). "HiSky revises operation from August 2020". Routesonline.
- Liu, Jim (7 July 2020). "Onur Air schedules Antalya – Chisinau service from July 2020". Routesonline.
- "Timetable". airport.md.
- https://wizzair.com/#/
- European Airport Traffic Trends at anna.aero
- "Anker-report.com EATS-European Airport Traffic Statistics". The Anker Report.
- In 2013 Chisinau International Airport carried a record number of passengers Archived 2016-06-25 at the Wayback Machine at airport.md
- "AIRPORT". www.airport.md.
- "Contacts Archived 2012-03-25 at the Wayback Machine." Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved on 4 November 2011. "Postal address: Republica Moldova, Chisinau, Aeroport, MD-2026"