An extension of the operation schedule of the Brasov - Ghimbav International Airport to round-the-clock hours, seven days a week will not be possible this year due to the reduced number of flights, but also due to insufficient control tower staff, the Romanian air traffic authority Romatsa said, noting that the said expansion of the schedule "is a medium-term goal" which should be correlated with "the existence of regular air traffic between 1:00 and 7:00", but also with "the availability of human resources."
"Regarding the extension of the working program to round-the-clock, this is not feasible any sooner than the 2026 summer season. The Brasov Airport and Romatsa are actively working to increase air traffic control capacity and ensure an efficient operating schedule. The extension of the program to 24/7 is a medium-term goal which will be implemented depending on the real demand of airlines and the availability of human resources. (...) An essential aspect worth mentioning is the fact that the extension of the operation schedule to 16+2 hours, starting in June 2023, was achieved one year earlier than initially agreed with the Brasov Airport. This extension was possible by postponing a significant number of legal leave days for air traffic controllers," the cited document said.
A number of 6 controllers are in training for the Brasov Control Tower, and they are estimated to receive their licenses at the end of April 2025; a new selection will soon be initiated for another batch of air traffic controllers, "however, even if everything goes to plan, they will not be able to get their license earlier than in summer 2026," Romatsa said.
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