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Baneasa Airport / History

   1909 - First flights were flown in Baneasa area by Louis Bleriot who used a hipodrom which belonged to him.

   1910, 17th-30th of October - The first international aircraft meeting of Romania and of Eastern Europe took place. Among the participants were Aurel Vlaicu, whose plane broke all records at Aspern, Austria, George Valentin Bibescu, the Romanian pilot with the patent no. 20 in the world and Michel Molla, the French pilot.

   1912 - National Romanian Air League organises the first flying school in Baneasa.

   After 1912 the airdrome becomes an airport, and aeronautic activities diversified and expanded to include a civil pilot school (later also military) and the Royal Romanian Aeroclub.

   1920 - The French-Romanian Company of Air Navigation, was set up using Romanian capital and French technical equipment. It was the initiative of Nicolae Titulescu, and had its financial headquarters in Bucharest. This was the first air transport company in the world to serve passengers, goods and mail.

   1922, 12th of November - The first international airline crossing Europe to Asia took place. The route was: Paris - Strasbourg - Prague - Vienna - Bucharest (Baneasa) - Constantinopole (with the unachieved goal of reaching Beirut).

   1923, 10th of September - First air flight at night occurs (although solitary flights had been done before) on the route Bucharest (Baneasa) - Belgrade - Bucharest (Baneasa).

   1923 - The workshops of the French-Romanian Company of Air Navigation are established at the Baneasa Airport, repairing and producing spare parts and basic components. This was the predecessor of the current Aeronautic Constructions Enterprise "Romaero".

   1925 - 1929 - Internal and international commercial air routes are officially opened: Bucharest (Baneasa) - Galati - Chisinau, Bucharest (Baneasa)-Iasi-Cernauti, Bucharest (Baneasa) - Cluj Napoca, Bucharest (Baneasa)-Constanta using "De Haviland 9" former military aircrafts.

   1926, 15th June - First business aviation flight is performed, when businessman Nicolae Anninos from Braila pays 1800 lei in order to fly on board a Potez aircaft to Galati in order to conclude a business. His pilot was Ion Negreanu.
    
   1930 - Conventions with Poland and Czechoslovakia are signed, which contributed to the development of Bucharest (Baneasa) as an international airport.

   Between the two World Wars, international air shows and streaks of breaking the world records are based at the Baneasa Airport. Not a year went by without a prestigious accolade. The airport was being continuously developed and modernized, new facilities and advanced technology were introduced and commercial planes, such as Junkers, were purchased.

   1932 - 1937 - The airport expands in area and personnel. Its runaway is extended to become 1200 meters and buildings, such as a hangar, a 20,000 litre fuel tank, an airport terminal building and a larger ramp area are added.
    Until Otopeni Airport is built and started functioning in 1968, Baneasa Airport was the only airport open to international air traffic. After this date, BANEASA - Bucharest City Airport was to be at the heart of all Romanian air transport.

   February 1995 - The immigration facility and the customs unit (both on permanent call) are re-opened and the airport becomes officially "BANEASA - Bucharest City Airport"

   The International Airport Bucharest-Baneasa is currently undergoing a complete modernization program and is diversifying into various commercially related fields of aviation. In the process, extensive facilities for all air activities are being created.



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