Ryanair, the second largest air carrier in Romania by passenger numbers, estimates it will carry 4 million passengers to and from local airports.
Although it operates on a considerable scale, Ryanair does not have a registered tax entity in Romania, and the country’s traffic represents 1.8% of the total number of passengers carried by the company globally. Ziarul Financiar estimates that Ryanair generates revenues of EUR 200-250 million from its local operations. By comparison, Wizz Air, the market leader, has two local branches, but has not filed financial statements since 2022.
The expansion of Ryanair’s business also comes as it adds a new airport to its Romanian portfolio. Ryanair will start operations from Băneasa (Aurel Vlaicu) Airport in Bucharest in October, starting with the winter season. This will be the fourth airport served by Ryanair in Romania, alongside Otopeni, Cluj and Iași. From Băneasa, the airline will offer flights to five destinations: Baden, Barcelona, Bari, Memmingen and Krakow.