Top 10 airlines in Romania

10. Turkish Airlines

The Turkish carrier had in early February a weekly seat capacity of 2,044 seats on routes to Romania, according to anna.aero.

In the local market, the airline focuses on business traffic, with Turkish investors present in Romania, and in the summer season, on the leisure traffic, Turkey being one of the most popular summer destinations for Romanian tourists.

Last year, Turkish Airlines carried 24.5 million passengers across its entire route network, and posted an average load factor of 71.4%.

9. Alitalia

Even though Italy is the largest market in terms of weekly flights from Romania, Alitalia has a fairly modest share in the local market.

The Italian carrier had a weekly seat capacity of 2,603 on routes to and from Romania, and takes the ninth spot in Wall-Street’s list.

Alitalia operates direct flights on Bucharest-Milan and Bucharest-Rome routes.

Alitalia flies to 74 destinations in Italy and worldwide, and operates over 2,500 weekly flights. Last year, the airline carried 21.2 million passengers, and posted a load factor of 65.5%.

8. Malev

Hungarian-based airline, Malev, had a weekly seat capacity of 2,759 seats on flights connecting Romania to Hungary.

Romania is the third largest market to Malev, after Hungary and Germany, as it accounts for 8% of total number of passengers carried worldwide.

Malev flies to three destinations in Romania: Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca and Targu-Mures. In winter 2009, Malev disrupted flights to and from Timisoara and Iasi, due to low demand.

Last year, the Hungarian airline carried 3.2 million passengers, and posted a load factor of 68.8%.

7. Air France

Air France, one of the largest European airlines, had a weekly seat capacity of 3.120 seats on its routes to Romania.

The airline operates in partnership with Tarom five weekly flights from Bucharest to Paris (three operated by Air France, and two by Tarom).

In 2009, Air France carried around 48 million passengers on its entire route network, and posted an average load factor of 78.8%.

6. Austrian Airlines

Acquired in 2009 by the German-based Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines had a weekly seat capacity of 3,588 seats on its routes to Romania at the beginning of February.

The Austrian airline operates flights to Vienna from Bucharest, Timisoara, Iasi, Sibiu and Cluj-Napoca.

Austrian Airlines said it would increase, as of March 29, 2010, the flight frequency on Bucharest-Vienna route, to six round-trip flights.

In 2009, AUA carried 8.5 million passengers and posted an average load factor of 73.8%.

5. Carpatair

The company with its hub in Timisoara, had at the beginning of February a weekly seat capacity of 5,210 seats.

Carpatair is the largest carrier on Romania-Italy routes, that offers the widest range of direct flights on this route (10 destinations in each country), as well as the highest flight frequency – 94/week.

In 2009, Carpatair carried 502,000 passengers, down 16% from a year earlier, and posted an average load factor of 60% from 68% a year earlier.

4. Lufthansa

Europe’s largest airline had a weekly seat capacity of 9,373 seats on its routes to Romania.

In the local market, the carrier flies to Munchen from Bucharest, Cluj, Sibiu and Timisoara, and from Bucharest to Frankfurt, Dusseldorf and Milan.

Last year, Lufthansa carried 53.2 million passengers, and posted an average load factor of 77.8%.

3. Blue Air

Over the past few years, the low-cost airline industry has grown markedly in Romania, where Blue Air and Wizz Air fight for top spot.

Blue Air had at the beginning of February a weekly seat capacity of 15,228 seats, according to anna.aero.

Italy accounts for 40% of Blue Air’s flights, and Spain for 30%.

The airline carried 1.7 million passengers last year, and posted an average load factor of 75%.

2. Wizz Air

Romania is the second largest market for low-fare carrier Wizz Air, after Poland. In February, the airline had a weekly seat capacity of 19,260 seats on its route to Romania.

Wizz Air flies to 31 destinations in Romania, and operates up to 230 weekly flights.

Wizz Air carried 1.65 million passengers to and from Romania and 7.8 million passengers on its global route network.

1. Tarom

Although it has seen its market share taking a nose dive over the past few years, due to a fiercer competition, the national airline retains its top spot in Wall-Street’s list, with a weekly seat capacity of 22,529 seats.

In the 2009-2010 winter season, the carrier flies to 49 destinations in Europe, North Africa and Middle East.

Last year, Tarom carried 1.72 million passengers and posted an average load factor of 58.9% on its external routes.