Oradea and Bihor County will establish a joint airline, Mayor Florin Birta and Ilie Bolojan County Mayor announced at a press conference on Thursday.
Their announcement was reported by Agerpres and Mediafax news agency. The airline is scheduled to operate to Bucharest and busy European airports.
“Oradea Airport has to serve one million inhabitants in Bihor County and neighboring counties. However, Oradea Airport has been operating on the verge of sustainability in recent years. We are exposed to the business policy of airlines and the international environment. The complete unpredictability of the air transport market is not a solution for Oradea and Bihor County ”
– Ilie Bolojan said.
The two presidents presented a cooperation agreement between the county government and the mayor’s office, and a timetable for setting up the airline. According to the latter, the company, to be registered in September, will become operational in the domestic market in March 2022 and in international air transport in October 2022.
Ilie Bolojan said they are preparing to buy or rent two 75-person aircraft that fly to Bucharest at least three times a day on weekdays and twice a day on public holidays. It also transports passengers to a foreign airport once a day. The two municipalities will also involve private companies in the operation of the airline. The draft decision must be voted on by both the Oradea City Council and the Bihor County Council. In both bodies, the National Liberal Party (PNL) has a majority, to which the two presidents also belong.
In October 2019, Ilie Bolojan, even as the mayor of Oradea, took the initiative to establish some kind of division of labor with Debrecen Airport, 60 kilometers from Oradea. At the time, he believed that if they tried to compete, they would see damage to both airports.
Then László Papp, the mayor of Debrecen, reacted as follows:
Press releases about Oradea Airport in recent weeks suggest that the issue of Oradea Airport has been at the center of political struggles there. I do not consider it polite or lucky to want to drag Debrecen International Airport into this political struggle. We most emphatically reject any attempt to do so, and at the same time emphasize that no negotiations are under way between the two airport operators.
Over the past 7 years, Debrecen International Airport has become the dominant and, by 2019, the busiest regional airport in the region. We have followed the path so far in accordance with our own strategy, with the Government of Hungary alone in Debrecen.
In the last 5 years, Debrecen has achieved all the results that have an international relevance, be it in the field of economy or even aviation. So if someone sends us a message to work together because otherwise we’re forced to compete, we’re not scared of it. If it hadn’t appeared, there is still competition between Debrecen and Oradea airports in recent years.
The economic focus of the region is in Debrecen and will be even more here thanks to the processes of the coming years. This has a significant impact on the life of the region, including aviation. Where the economic center of a region develops, there will also be a transport and logistics center. We will not let go of the positions won, this is not the basis for negotiation!
In addition, as before, Debrecen makes a special effort to develop relations with Oradea that are balanced and respect mutual interests.
The mayor of Debrecen has not yet reacted to the developments.
debreceninap.hu
