Timisoara Traian Vuia International Airport

History Timisoara Traian Vuia International Airport

The first air base in Timiș County was operational between November 1915 and April 1917, on the communal grassland of Dudeștii Noi. It was a German military air base, used for stationing, loading and repairing zeppelins. During World War I, zeppelins erected from the base in Dudeștii Noi bombed Bucharest, Ploiești, Chișinău and Thessaloniki. After the closure of this air base, in 1919, the villagers tried to dismantle it piece by piece, but the metal framework of the hall that once housed the German zeppelins collapsed on them, and five people died.

Timișoara's first civil airport was put into use on 10 July 1935, based on a telegraphic order of the Ministry of Interior. It was located on the training ground of the Military Garrison, approximately on the current site of Iulius Town. The first aircraft landed here on 17 July 1935. The official inauguration of the temporary airport took place on 20 July 1935. At the time of its establishment, it had no material endowment. The airport's technical building was made of planks and tarred cardboard and had three rooms and a stove. One room was for the commander, another for the traffic and administrative offices, and the third room served as a waiting room.

On 27 July 1936, following a protocol concluded between the authorities and the airport commander, it was decided to allocate a fund of approximately 5 million lei for the construction of a definitive airport. The money was destined for the construction of a terminal, a hangar and two other buildings that were to serve as radio and telegraph stations, located in the Cioca plainfield. The winner of the auction was the firm of architectural engineer August Schmiedigen from Bucharest, for the amount of 4.5 million lei. During the project, flights to and from Timișoara were further taken over by the temporary airport. On 23 September 1936, the first excavations were carried out at the foundations. The construction of the terminal was completed in 1938, lacking the connections to electricity, telephone, water, sewage, etc. The construction of radio and telegraph stations was completed in the same period, lacking only the necessary equipment. The auction was deemed suspicious, reason why the Superior Administrative Court annulled its adjudication and, consequently, decided to suspend the works.

Transportation Timisoara Traian Vuia International Airport

1. Car: Access to the airport is via Calea Dorobanților and the European route E70, through a roundabout near the village of Ghiroda. A slightly longer alternative (but with less traffic flow) is to exit Timișoara on Calea Dorobanților and drive through the village of Giarmata-Vii instead, before heading back towards the airport. A third option, starting in the northern part of the city, is to use the ring road (DNCT) which, also through a roundabout, is connected with the road to the airport.

Taxi cabs have dedicated parking in front of the terminals. The average cost for a ride to the city center is likely to fall within the range of 50–55 lei, depending on the exact route and traffic flow. Ride-sharing services are not acknowledged by the airport, however the parking lot can be crossed on foot in a few minutes, and a car can be ordered at the entrance.

Several rent-a-car services (Avis, Europcar, Budget, Hertz, etc.) operate within the airport. The rent-a-car counters are located in the public area, their schedule being correlated with the flight schedule.

2. Bus: The STPT Expres 4 line (E4) connects the terminals to the city center. The bus runs approximately once per hour on weekdays, and less frequently on weekends.[33] Since 13 September 2012, the Expres 4 barat line (E4) connects the airport directly with Timișoara North railway station, the main station in the city. However, this bus only runs a few times per day, to connect the more important flights. Paper tickets can be purchased inside the airport. One ticket costs 4 lei and permits travel for up to one hour after the start of the ride.
3. Rail: There are plans for a new railway between the East Station and the airport. A train station and a road leading to the airport would be built in its vicinity. Currently, there is a spur line which runs to the airport, but it is only used by Military Unit 01930 for fuel transportation.