Romania brings airport to Schengen standards but fails to join Schengen

Autor: Andreea Mioara Neferu 29.03.2011

The new passenger terminal at Henri Coandă - Otopeni International Airport entailed 60 million-euro investments and will add 15 boarding gates to the 9 of the old terminal, 104 check-in desks, from the current 52 and 9 walkways from 5 at present. In addition, the built area has tripled, going from nearly 8,000 square metres to a little over 24,500 square metres. The new terminal is basically an extension of the old one, with the boarding process remaining the same.

A lot of crowding, journalists, officials, ambassadors, intrigued passengers, this is what the terminal looked like in its first day, a terminal originally designed to answer requirements imposed by Romania's accession to the Schengen area. For now, however, Schengen gates remain closed to Romanians, with the new Otopeni terminal helping decongest the old, smaller terminal.

Premier Emil Boc and two ministers, Anca Boagiu of the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry, and Traian Igaş of the Interior Ministry, came to Otopeni yesterday to celebrate "victory against nihilism and against all who say nothing is happening in Romania," said the Prime Minister. "This is one of the most important inaugurations in 2011 at the Transportation Ministry," Boagiu added.