Chișinău International Airport

Chișinău International Airport Aeroportul Internațional Chișinău
IATA: KIV – ICAO: LUKK KIV Location of airport in Moldova
Summary
Airport type		Public
Operator		CIA
Location		Chișinău, Moldova
Hub for		Air Moldova Carpatair Moldavian Airlines
Elevation AMSL		399 ft / 122 m
Coordinates		46°55′40″N 028°55′51″E
Website		www.airport.md
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	m	ft
08/26	3,590	11,779	Concrete
Statistics (2012)
Passengers			1,220,496
Aircraft movements			16,119
Sources: Moldavian AIP at EUROCONTROL Statistics Aircraft movements data for 2012

Chișinău International Airport (IATA: KIV, ICAO: LUKK) is the main international airport in Chișinău, Moldova, located 13 km (8.1 mi) southeast of the centre of Chişinău, the capital city.

History

The first scheduled flights to Chișinău started on 24 June 1926, on the route Bucharest – Galați – Chișinău and Iași. The flights were operated by Compagnie Franco-Roumaine de Navigation Aérienne - CFRNA, later LARES.

The main terminal was built in the 1970s with a capacity of 1,200,000 passengers per year. On 31 May 1995 Chișinău Airport was awarded the status of an international airport.

Following modernisation work by the Turkish company Akfen Holding A.S., the airport reopened in May 2000. An annex terminal building with an area of 4,270 m² (46,000 sq ft) was added to the renovated present terminal building of 7,600 m² (82,000 sq ft). The project covers 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 has increased to 5.4 million passengers.

Chișinău International Airport is a member of Airports Council International.

Infrastructure and facilities

Chişinău airport at night

There are ten check-in desks and four gates at the airport. VIP and CIP guests are offered special services at the VIP terminal.

A visitors' terrace in the second floor opened in December 2006 but was closed due to security measures. The airport also has a commemorative plaque describing the first flight to Moldova on 24 June 1926 on the routes Bucharest–Galați–Iași and Chișinău.

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 reorganized in late 2006. This resulted in a bigger check-in hall and customs control is now after check-in.

There is a currency exchange area located in the front lobby, although the exchange rates are slightly higher than in the city. A coffee shop is located upstairs on the left side, as you enter the front lobby.

Air Moldova and Moldavian Airlines have their head offices on the airport property.

Development

There are plans to enlarge the airport. The project involves EUR 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 Chişinău International Airport. The European Investment Bank ('EIB') is considering co-financing alongside EBRD for up to an equal amount.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Airlines	Destinations
Air Moldova	Athens, Beauvais, Bologna, Bucharest, Frankfurt, Istanbul-Atatürk, Kiev-Boryspil, Larnaca, Lisbon, London-Stansted, Madrid, Milan-Malpensa, Moscow-Domodedovo, Rome-Fiumicino, Sochi, St. Petersburg, Verona Seasonal: Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman, Dublin, Surgut
airBaltic	Riga
Atlas Jet	Seasonal: Antalya
Austrian Airlines	Vienna
Astra Airlines	Seasonal Charter: Thessaloniki
Carpatair	Rome-Fiumicino, Timişoara, Venice-Marco Polo Seasonal: Milan-Bergamo (begins 16 July 2013)
Lufthansa operated by Lufthansa CityLine	Munich
Meridiana	Bologna, Milan-Malpensa, Verona
Moldavian Airlines	Rome-Fiumicino, Timişoara, Venice-Marco Polo
S7 Airlines	Moscow-Domodedovo
Tandem Aero	Seasonal: Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion
TAROM	Bucharest
Turkish Airlines	Istanbul-Atatürk
UTair Aviation	Surgut
Wizz Air	Budapest (coming soon)

Cargo

Airlines	Destinations
DHL Aviation	Bucharest-Henri Coandă
CSA Czech Airlines operated by Farnair Switzerland	Prague
Lufthansa Cargo	Munich, Vienna

Airport statistics

Traffic figures

Year	Passangers (total)	Change	Aircraft Movements (total)	Change	Cargo (tonnes)
2000	254,178	N/A	5,519	N/A	2,400
2001	274,662	8%	9,866	78.7%	1,700
2002	296,431	7.9%	10,416	5.5%	1,300
2003	341,695	15.2%	9,502	8.7%	1,300
2004	421,011	23.2%	10,759	13.2%	1,400
2005	482,741	14.6%	11,126	3.4%	1,700
2006	548,331	13.5%	10,065	9.5%	1,800
2007	688,782	25.6%	11,623	15.4%	2,300
2008	847,881	23%	12,000	3.2%	2,400
2009	809,072	4.5%	N/A	N/A	2,000
2010	937,030	15.8%	13,751	N/A	2,400
2011	1,045,975	11.6%	15,022	9.2%	2,700
2012	1,220,496	16.6%	16,119	7.3%	2,800

Busiest routes:

• Chişinău - Moscow Air Moldova, S7 Airlines with 320,990 (26.3%) passengers transported in 2012
• Chişinău - Istanbul Air Moldova, Moldavian Airlines, Turkish Airlines with 152,562 (12.5%) of passengers transported in 2012
• Chişinău - Antalya Air Moldova, Moldavian Airlines with 109,844 (9%) passengers transported in 2012
• Chişinău - Verona Air Moldova, Meridiana Fly with 81,733 (6.7%) passengers transported in 2012
• Chişinău - Munich Lufthansa with 69,568 (5.7%) passengers transported in 2012
• Chişinău - Bucharest TAROM, Air Moldova with 67,127 (5.5%) passengers transported in 2012

Busiest airlines in 2012:

• Air Moldova - 40.7%
• S7 Airlines - 13.2%
• Turkish Airline - 9.7%
• Meridiana - 9.4%
• Lufthansa - 5.7
• Carpatair - 5.1%
• Austrian Airlines - 4%

Other facilities

The Civil Aviation Administration of Moldova has its headquarters on the airport property.
Fly Level Flight Training Organisation is developing its main activities on the airport territory since August 2011.

Ground transportation

There are bus lines and rutieră vans 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 Piata 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. There is a white livery bus operating in a 30 minute interval. A fare of (3 lei) must be paid to the bus conductor. It should be noted that all city buses may only stop at designated bus stops. This is different from rutieră vans, which may stop at any time, given the driver is notified a few seconds prior.

From the airport, it typically takes taxis 10-15 minutes to reach the iconic city wall of Chişinău. From there, it takes another 15-20 minutes to reach the city center, where most of the hotels are located. Taxi drivers charge approximately 70-80 lei for a ride to the city center, although it is highly advisable to agree on a price beforehand. Arriving passengers can find authorized taxis (Taxi 1407, yellow cars) waiting outside the front lobby. It is common to have taxi drivers approach you as you exit through the front doors.

See also

• Civil Aviation Administration of Moldova
• List of airports in Moldova

External links

• Official website
• (Romanian) Official website
• (Russian) Official website
• State Administration of Civil Aviation Administration of Moldova
• Full flight schedule - Flight numbers & Destination details