Works begin on the Brasov-Ghimbav international airport

Newsroom 26/04/2013 | 13:19

After several years of political fights, numerous public tenders and disputes, works on the runway of the future Brasov-Ghimbav International Airport near Brasov, central Romania, began two days ago, informs Agerpres newswire.

Aristotel Cancescu, the president of the Brasov County Council, said that this is for the second time when authorities begin works on the site after lack of finance triggered by the economic crisis put the project on hold in 2008.

Building the runway will cost some EUR 12.7 million and the project should be delivered by November 30. The funds come from the County Council budget. The entire airport could be completed in 2015, the authorities hope, although not all the necessary financing is secured.

Local official say the construction of the airport is extremely important for the region and for the city of Brasov and they hope it will help attract more business as well as tourists to the city and the surrounding areas.

However, despite this the authorities in Brasov have fought over two different airport projects for the city for many years.

The first one was the project of a smaller scale airport supported by Brasov’s mayor, George Scripcaru, who is a member of the ruling Democratic Liberal Party (PDL). The project was also backed by central PDL authorities in Bucharest.

The second project was that of the larger international airport, the Brasov Ghimbav International Airport, this one being endorsed by the Brasov County Council whose president is a member of the National Liberal Party (PNL).