<h2 class="blog-hed2 pb-lg-4 pb-3 text-lg-center">History Henri Coanda International Airport</h2>
<p class="blog-para">During World War II, the airport in Otopeni was used as an airbase by the German Air Force. Until 1965, it was a major airfield for the Romanian Air Force, with Băneasa Airport serving as Bucharest's commercial airport. In 1965, with the growth of air traffic, the Otopeni airbase was converted to a commercial airport. The runway was modernized and extended to 3,500 metres (11,500 ft) from the previous 1,200 metres (3,900 ft), making it one of the longest in Europe at that time.</p>
<p class="blog-para">In August 1969, when United States President Richard Nixon visited Romania, a VIP lounge was inaugurated.</p>
<p class="blog-para">A new passenger terminal (designed by Cezar Lăzărescu), with a capacity of 1,200,000 passengers per year, was opened on 13 April 1970, for domestic and international flights. An improvement program added a second runway in 1986, expanding capacity to 35 aircraft movements per hour.</p>
<p class="blog-para">In 1992, Otopeni Airport became a regular member of Airports Council International (ACI).</p>
<p class="blog-para">The first stage of the plan (Phase I), taking place between 1994 and 1998, involved the construction of a new departures terminal and of a new airside concourse with five jetways and nine gates (referred to as 'the Finger') as well as the extension of airport ramps and of their associated taxiways.</p>
<p class="blog-para">The second phase (labeled Phase II/IIe) of the plan led to the construction of a terminal dedicated to domestic flights and of a multi-story car park (2003), the complete overhaul of the control tower (between 2005 and 2007) as well as the transformation of the old terminal building in a dedicated arrivals hall (in 2000). During the same phase, two high-speed taxiways (Victor and Whiskey) were constructed. Phase II was completed in 2007.</p>
<p class="blog-para">Meanwhile, TAROM axed its service to New York City in November 2003, as it was losing a great deal of money on the flight. Delta Air Lines began flying the same route four years later with Boeing 767s. In late 2008, the company decided to suspend the link that winter and resume it seasonally in summer 2009. The 2009 season started in June and was supposed to run until October; however, Delta pulled out of Bucharest altogether in September. According to a representative of Delta's joint-venture partner Air France&ndash;KLM, the carrier made this decision due to the recession and the poor financial performance of the service.</p>
<h2 class="blog-hed2 pb-lg-4 pb-3 text-lg-left">Ground Transportation Henri Coanda International Airport</h2>
<p class="blog-para"><strong>Rail:</strong> An airport rail link service to the main railway station, Gara de Nord (Bucharest North), runs from the Airport railway station located near the parking lot of the Arrivals hall.[90] As of August 2021, the trains, alternately operated by CFR and TFC depart every 40 minutes, seven days a week. A one-way trip takes 15-20 minutes.</p>
<p class="blog-para">A new Metro Line M6 is also planned, connecting the airport to the Gara de Nord train station, and integrating the airport into the Bucharest Metro network.</p>
<p class="blog-para"><strong>Bus: </strong>Henri Coandă Airport is connected to the public transport company STB system. The 783 route provides express bus service to the city center (Piața Unirii). Route 783 to the city center is running 24 hours a day.</p>
<p class="blog-para"><strong>Car:</strong> The airport is 16.5 km (10.3 mi) north of central Bucharest, to which it is connected by route DN1. The A3 motorway will connect the future terminal 2 and the city.</p>
<p class="blog-para"><strong>Taxi:</strong> As of May 2013, taxis serving Henri Coandă Airport can be ordered using a touch screen system in the arrivals terminal, allowing the taxi drivers to enter the pick-up area. This measure was taken after many complaints from passengers who were being ripped off when using illegal, high-price taxis.</p>
<p><img class="img-fluid p-lg-0 rounded w-100" title="Henri Coanda Airport" src="../../main/img/airport/hen/1.webp" alt="Henri Coanda Airport" width="950px" height="500px"></p>