Romanias Cluj-Napoca Avram Iancu International Airport (CLJ), the main gateway to Transylvania, handled close to 3.6 million passengers in 2025, making it the countrys second-busiest airport after Bucharests Henri Coandă-Otopeni (OTP). This figure reflects a more than 20-fold increase over the past two decades, from under 150,000 passengers in 2000 and below 50,000 in the late 1990s amid post-dictatorship challenges.
Rising living standards, European Union integration, and the low-cost carrier boom, driven by Wizz Air and Ryanair, fueled this growth. Wizz Air carries over half of CLJs passengers, followed by Ryanair, with Romanian carriers TAROM and Animawings also operating. Full-service airlines including Lufthansa to Munich (MUC), LOT Polish Airlines to Warsaw (WAW), SWISS to Zurich (ZRH), and Turkish Airlines and Pegasus to Istanbul (IST and SAW) provide wider connectivity. Norwegian Air Shuttle plans links to Copenhagen (CPH) and Oslo (OSL), while flydubai has shown interest in Dubai (DXB).
The airports expansions support this trajectory. A 2009 terminal build followed Romania’s EU accession, hitting one million passengers in 2010. In June 2024, coinciding with Schengen entry, an €83 million upgrade added capacity to 4.5 million annually. Cluj serves as a hub for IT and pharmaceuticals, tied to its major universities.
In 2025, Cluj Airport and Cluj County Council unveiled a €333 million master plan to reach seven million passengers by 2040 and over 10 million by 2045. Key features include a 24,000-square-meter terminal, expanded apron, new taxiway, and photovoltaic park. The plan proposes extending the runway from 2,100 to 3,420 meters by diverting the Someș River.
Airport director David Ciceo stated at the Aviation Event CLJ 2026 conference on March 20 that direct US flights are a priority, noting 65,000 annual indirect travelers to the US. He anticipates growth from US tourists discovering Transylvania, with the extension targeted for 2030 at earliest, while pursuing European and Middle East opportunities.