Radio România Internațional

Tag: airport

  • November 9, 2024

    November 9, 2024

     

    FLOODS The Romanian foreign ministry announced that, according to information from the Spanish authorities, two other Romanian citizens initially reported missing following the floods in Valencia have been found dead. The ministry sends its condolences to the bereaved families. According to the ministry, following the devastating floods in Spain, four Romanian nationals have died and seven are still missing. The embassy of Romania in Madrid and the consular office in Castellon de la Plana continued to check public information regarding the death of several Romanian citizens in the recent floods in the region of Valencia, but so far no confirmations have been received from the Spanish authorities.

     

    VISIT The Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu will visit the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on November 12 and 13. He will have a meeting with his British counterpart, Keir Starmer, and will participate in the Romania-UK Economic Forum, the Romanian government announced. The government spokesperson Mihai Constantin explained that, ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit to London, the Romanian government approved a memorandum that updates the Convention between the two countries in the field of taxation and prevention of tax evasion. According to Constantin, the new document takes into account the changes made in the Romanian legislation during the year 2023, as well as those related to Romania’s goal of joining the OECD. The leader of the Social Democratic Party (in power in Romania as part of a coalition with the National Liberal Party), Ciolacu is running for the presidency of Romania this month, on behalf of his party.

     

    SCHENGEN A meeting attended by Austria, Romania and Bulgaria will be organised in Budapest, Hungary on November 22, when Vienna might give up its opposition to the full accession of the two countries to the Schengen Area, Austrian media announced. The accession decision could be announced on December 12, at the upcoming Justice and Internal Affairs Council. The Austrian minister of the interior, Gerhard Kärtner, confirmed participation in the meeting with his Romanian and Bulgarian counterparts, and said discussions with both countries are ongoing. He reiterated that the essential condition for Romania’s and Bulgaria’s full Schengen accession remains the effective protection of external borders and, if necessary, controls at internal borders. According to Austrian media, the change in attitude is due to the decrease in migration in the Balkans and in the number of asylum applications in Austria.

     

    STRIKE The Romanian foreign ministry warns Romanian citizens who are in Italy or transiting or planning to travel to that country that on November 12 a 4-hour national strike will be organised by airport staff, between 1 PM and 5 PM. The strike will affect Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport, as well as the Pescara, Naples and Perugia airports. In this context, flight delays or cancellations are possible. Romanian citizens can request consular assistance at the telephone numbers of the Embassy of Romania in Italy, with calls being forwarded to the Contact and Support Center for Romanian Citizens Abroad (CCSCRS) and answered by Call Center operators around the clock.

     

    RUGBY Romania’s national rugby team plays in Bucharest today against Tonga, in their first test match this month. Romania (20th place in the world ranking) and Tonga (16th place) have met in 5 games so far, with Romania winning twice. The last time the two teams were face to face was last year, at the World Cup in France, when the Pacific team won 45-24. As part of their preparation for the 2027 World Cup qualifiers in Australia, Romania will also play at home against Canada on November 16 and Uruguay on the 23rd. In order to reach the final tournament, Romania must rank among the top two teams in Group B, i.e. win two of the three games it has to play: against Germany (February 1/2, 2025, in Bucharest), Belgium (February 8/9, away from home) or Portugal (February 15/16, again in Bucharest). Romania has taken part in all Rugby World Cup finals so far, except for the 2019 edition, when it was disqualified because it had used a naturalised Tongan player, who did not have the right to play.

     

    TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu qualified for the semifinals of the WTA 125 tournament in Cali (Colombia), after defeating Australia’s Tina Smith, 6-1, 6-3. Begu (102 WTA), seed no. 2, won after an hour and 12 minutes against a younger and lower ranked opponent (322 WTA). The Romanian won USD 8,000 and 81 WTA points. Begu, who defeated her compatriot Anca Todoni in the quarter-finals, will play the final against the winner of the match between Hungarian Panna Udvardy (146 WTA) and the Slovenian Veronika Erjavec (199 WTA). (AMP)

  • January 1, 2024 UPDATE

    January 1, 2024 UPDATE

    SCHENGEN The EU Council voted unanimously in favour of Romania’s and
    Bulgaria’s gradual accession to the passport-free Schengen Area, after Austria, the last member country opposing
    the measure, lifted its veto. As of March 2024, air and maritime border checks
    with these 2 countries will be abolished, with Austria, Bulgaria and Romania committing
    to also agree on a deadline for ending land border checks.The decision also comprises measures to
    tighten border checks and fight illegal migration, so that Romania and
    Bulgaria will continue to receive substantial financial support and assistance
    from FRONTEX. The European Council president Charles Michel, the head of the
    European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Parliament Roberta
    Metsola and the EU Commissioner for home affairs Ylva Johansson are some of the
    EU leaders who have welcomed the decision.This
    is an important first step, Romania’s president said in his turn, and added
    that lifting land border checks as well remains a priority for Romania.


    AIRLINE The Otopeni Henri
    Coandă International Airport, the largest in Romania, has been prepared for
    Schengen operation ever since 2011. According to the airport spokesman Valentin
    Iordache, two-thirds of the airport passengers have flights to and from Schengen
    member states. Meanwhile, the Romanian state-owned airline TAROM resumed
    flights to and from Tel Aviv on January 1, after having suspended them in the
    wake of the October 7 attacks by the Palestinian terror group Hamas.


    PRICES The year 2024 begins with price
    rises for fuels and foodstuffs as well as for some services. For traditional,
    organic foodstuffs and for food products made in mountain regions, the VAT went
    up from 5% to 9%. Excises are also raised for tobacco, alcohol and soft drinks
    with high sugar content. Also, certain
    micro-enterprises will have to pay higher taxes on turnover, with tax increases
    also in place for banks, hotels and restaurants. Housing costs will also be higher, as the VAT in
    the real estate sector goes up from 5% to 9% for units worth up to EUR 120,000.
    Also as of January 1, meal and holiday vouchers are to be included in the total
    incomes for which health insurance contributions are paid. Analysts predict
    retail price increases will be substantial,
    and expect consumers to turn to cheaper products, while producers will lower
    the product weight in order to observe price caps.


    POLICE Close to 24,000 interior ministry staff are on duty
    during the 4-day New Year’s holiday, while road traffic is monitored by 360 radar
    speed guns and DUI check teams. Also, around 5,000 fire-fighters are on duty
    every day around the country, to provide emergency assistance if necessary. The
    border police also took steps to enhance border monitoring and to streamline
    vehicle and person transit at checkpoints. Meanwhile, the authorities announced
    having seized over 100 tonnes of fireworks kits and opening more than 500 criminal
    investigations in this respect, and have once again called on parents not to
    buy firecrackers for their children as such materials may be extremely dangerous.


    INVOICING Electronic invoicing is compulsory in Romania as of
    January 1 for all B2B transactions. The system entails benefits particularly in
    terms of curbing VAT frauds, the finance minister Marcel Boloş told a press
    conference. He also said that those who will not use the e-Invoicing system may
    receive sentences of 3 to 10 years in prison, if the new law on fighting
    economic and financial crime passes the Constitutional Court review. The
    authorities count on additional revenues of EUR 1 bln. Minister Boloş also said
    that in December the national tax authority’s directorate for large taxpayers
    secured a record-high total of EUR 3.2 bln in state budget revenues. On the
    other hand, the government extended a cap on the price of compulsory motor
    insurance policies, which will stay at the level in February 2023 until March 2024.
    The Cabinet also passed a bill making insurance compulsory for electric bikes
    and scooters as well. (AMP)

  • October 10, 2022

    October 10, 2022

    DEFICIT In the first 8 months of the year Romania’s trade balance
    deficit deepened by nearly EUR 7.4 billion, to EUR 22 billion. According to data
    made public by the National Statistics Institute on Monday, exports went up
    25%, to EUR 60.3 billion, and imports rose by 31%, to roughly EUR 83 billion.
    Vehicles and transport equipment, as well as other manufactured products,
    accounted for a large part of Romania’s foreign trade. Over 70% of the total
    imports and exports involved the EU market.


    PILGRIMAGE
    The north-eastern Romanian city of Iaşi is hosting these days a traditional
    pilgrimage devoted to St. Paraskeva, commemorated on the 14 October and viewed
    as the patron saint of Moldavia. Thousands of Orthodox believers from around
    the country and from abroad have already come to pray at St. Paraskeva’s relics,
    hosted by the Metropolitan Cathedral. The Iași pilgrimage is the largest
    Orthodox pilgrimage in the country, with around 300,000 people expected to
    attend this year.


    REFUGEES Romania is better prepared to
    receive Ukrainian refugees, although there is no indication that their number
    may increase, the state secretary with the interior ministry Raed Arafat
    said in Suceava, north-eastern Romania. On Sunday the Romanian official
    travelled to the Suceava hub for a donation ceremony also attended by the
    French ambassador to Bucharest, Laurence Auer, and the Ukrainian ambassador in
    Romania, Ihor Prokopchuk. Fifteen fire engines and ambulances were brought to
    the hub by 40 members of the French civil protection agency, and further
    materials will reach Suceava in a few days. The largest French aid batch for
    Ukraine, consisting in over 1 tonne of pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs and
    intervention vehicles, has reached the Black Sea port of Constanţa Sud-Agigea.


    UKRAINE
    Several blasts were reported this
    morning in the Ukrainian capital city and in Lviv, Ternopil and Dnipro. The
    Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu announced that Romanian diplomatic
    staff in Kyiv is safe, although a missile hit 850m from the Romanian embassy
    office. The Romanian official firmly condemns Russian missile strikes on
    civilian targets in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities as a blatant violation of
    international human rights law. Meanwhile, Russia’s Security Council convenes today at president
    Vladimir Putin’s request, after Saturday’s
    partial destruction of the Kerch bridge connecting Russia to Crimea. According
    to Putin, this was a terrorist act committed by Ukraine. The Ukrainian
    authorities neither confirmed nor denied their involvement in the incident. In
    Washington, the White House declined comments on the topic and mentioned it
    would continue to supply weapons to Ukraine. Also today, the UN is holding an
    emergency session to discuss Russia’s recent annexation of 4 other Ukrainian
    provinces. Radio Romania’s correspondent in the US mentions that the UN General
    Assembly condemned the annexation of Crimea in 2014.


    AIRPORT As of today, the Bucharest Otopeni Airport is upgrading its baggage
    handling systems at the Departures terminal, the Bucharest National Airport
    Company has announced. Until next August, the number of check-in counters will
    be significantly reduced, and waiting time will be longer. The current baggage
    handling system is more than 20 years old, and its replacement requires an over
    EUR 20 million investment. After the works, the processing capacity will be 40%
    higher, and 12 counters for passengers to drop off their own baggage without
    resorting to a check-in counter will also be available, the Company announced.


    VETERINARY EU experts are assessing these days the veterinary services
    at the border check points Stamora Moraviţa, in Timiş County, on the border
    with Serbia, and at the Bucharest Henri Coandă Airport, the National Veterinary
    and Food Safety Agency announced. The assessment comes in the context of
    Romania’s prospective Schengen area accession. The Czech presidency of the EU
    Council announced last week that in the December summit it will seek a
    unanimous decision on Romania’s and Bulgaria’s accession to the passport-free
    travel area.



    SPORTS The Romanian team CSM Bucharest defeated
    the Dutch side Odense Handbold, 31-27 (16-13), on Sunday, away from home, in
    Group A of the women’s handball Champions’ League. Undefeated in 4 matches, the
    Romanian team is to play next at home on 16 October, against DHK Banik Most. In
    turn, CS Rapid Bucharest won 34-32 (19-14) against the Danish team Team
    Esbjerg, in a home game on Sunday in Group B of the same competition. This was
    the 3rd win for the Romanian champions in the competition. Rapid will
    play next against Buducnost Podgorica, away from home, on 15 October. (AMP)

  • The sounds of an airport

    The sounds of an airport

    “Henri Coanda” — Otopeni International Airport



    “Henri Coanda” — Otopeni International Airport, the largest airport in Romania, is located outside Bucharest’s urban area, in the town of Otopeni, and is one of Bucharest’s two airports (the second largest being “Aurel Vlaicu” International Airport in Baneasa district).



    During WWII, Otopeni airport was a military base. Until 1965, it was only Baneasa Airport that had operated commercial flights. Later on, a new commercial airport was built on the site of the old military base in Otopeni. The upgraded runway was 3,500m long, being longer than that of Orly Airport in Paris at the time.



    The building of a new passenger terminal was included in the upgrading and expansion program. The upgrading continued with the building of a VIP lounge, ahead of the visit to Romania by the U.S. President Richard Nixon, in August 1969. In 1986 a second runway, measuring 3,500 in length, was inaugurated, and a new airfield ground lighting system was implemented. In March 2011, the departure terminal was extended and the number of boarding gates was increased to 24.



    In 2018, “Henri Coanda” — Otopeni International Airport registered a record high air traffic movement, of over 13.8 million passengers, and an increase of approximately one million people, as compared to 2017. 57 airlines operate on the airport, taking passengers to and from 128 destinations.





    Václav Havel Airport Prague



    Each year 17 million passengers pass through it every year and tens of millions of pieces of luggage checked, while over 400 planes land and take off daily.



    During its history, which began exactly 90 years ago, Prague’s airport has been through a lot — the rise of the young Czechoslovak state, two occupations, the communist era, the Velvet Revolution…. Today it is a modern structure with first-class infrastructure and is regarded as one of Europe’s safest airports. It provides comfort to passengers at three terminals and can handle even the biggest planes.



    Last year it was used by 70 carriers and linked Prague to 157 destinations. In the coming years it is due to get a new terminal and runway.





    Beyond check-in: how does luggage make it to the carousel?



    Airports are a hive of activity as passengers pass through on their way to a different destination. Behind the scenes at Zurich Airport, baggage handlers are working to ensure that passengers’ bags get safely delivered to them. Experience the sights and sounds of this tightly-planned operation, as we take you beyond security and through to a side of airport life most travellers never normally see.


    It’s a bright and sunny morning in Zurich. The air is filled with the grinding and whirring of machinery and the roar of aeroplanes cutting through the sky. Between landings and take-offs, the ground crew are in action. They’re preparing for the arrival of Swiss International Air Lines, Airbus 320, from Frankfurt, scheduled for 9.35am.



    A so-called ‘Foreign Object Debris’ (FOD) check is carried out by the onsite ramp team. As the plane comes to a halt on the apron — the aircraft parking area – chocks are placed in front of the aircraft wheels and power is connected from the main building. The team, all wearing safety clothing, waits until the engines are switched off and the aircraft is then secured and marked with cones.



    Only when the supervisor has authorised all the relevant arrival checks can the passengers leave the plane and make their way to their final destination or baggage claim. Transit baggage, which is stored in large containers in the hold, and the luggage of first class passengers, is placed near the cargo doors so that it can be unloaded quickly when the plane arrives.



    The staff work efficiently, never stopping to chat. It’s a well-honed routine. From the warren-like holding bay below ground level, the baggage makes its way on to a long conveyer belt to the carousel above ground, where passengers are waiting.



    Loading the plane



    The total weight of luggage, cargo, passengers and fuel has an influence on the aircraft trim (keeping the aircraft balanced). Loading has to be in line with airline safety regulations.



    Nathalie Berchtold, communications manager at Swissport International AG, told swissinfo.ch that the weather also plays an important role. At high temperatures, the air is thinner and the aircraft has less lift during take-off and landing. To take off and climb as quickly as possible, the aircraft must therefore be lighter when there are high temperatures. That means less cargo or baggage can be transported on the aircraft for safety reasons, and is why not all luggage is guaranteed to be transported on a set flight and is sometimes sent on later.



    Lost luggage



    Tens of millions of passengers use Zurich Airport every year, and sometimes, luggage goes missing. Good working practices among baggage handlers and airlines is key to minimising the amount of lost luggage.



    In 2018, there were 38,000 missing luggage reports issued at Swissport Zurich. In the same year, they reported four mispaced bags per 1000 passengers. Around 98% of all lost baggage can be located within 24 hours at Swissport Zurich. Since June 2018 IATA (….) has required its member airlines to keep track of every item of luggage from start to finish. Swissport Zurich is already compliant.



    Zurich airport: in numbers



    A total of 31,113,488 passengers travelled via Zurich Airport in 2018, a year-on-year increase of 5.8%. The number of passengers transferring at Zurich Airport increased by 6.4% to 8.8 million in 2018.





    Warsaws Chopin Airport



    Warsaws Chopin Airport is the largest in Poland. Last year it was used by 15.8 million passengers. Poland’s president greenlighted an ambitious plan to build a large new airport in the centre of the country.



    The new airport, to be built between the capital Warsaw and the central city of Łódź, is expected to handle up to 100 million passengers a year and be one of the largest hub airports in Europe after it is completed in 2027.



    If the new Polish hub is launched, it will be massive competition for the unfinished Willy Brandt Berlin-Brandenburg Airport (BER) near the German capital.​





    Montreal — Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport



    YUL is the aviation code name for the Montreal — Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, which is connected by direct flights to more than 140 regular and seasonal destinations in Canada, the United States and internationally. Some 30 airlines use this airport to transport about 16 million passengers every year.



    Located in the city of Dorval on the Island of Montreal, about twenty kilometres southwest of Montreal’s downtown, this airport is an important hub of air traffic with Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.



    YUL is also known for its expertise in snow clearing and de-icing during Canadas harsh winters. In 2008, the airport earned the International Aviation Snow Symposium’s Balchen/Post Award in the “Major Airports” category.



    The Montreal — Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport began operations in 1941 and has continued to grow. Formerly known as Montreal — Dorval International Airport, it was renamed on January 1, 2004 in memory of former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.



  • April 2, 2018

    April 2, 2018

    HEALTHCARE – In Romania, a new framework contract for public healthcare services took effect on April 1. Aimed at improving the access to healthcare services and medicines, and at reducing red-tape and making the operations in the sector more transparent, the document stipulates that as of July 1 members of the public health insurance system will be able to purchase subsidised medicines from any participating chemists in the country, instead of only those units which have a contract signed with the same insurance agency as the prescribing physician.




    DIPLOMACY – A cooperation programme in the field of professional training was signed by the Romanian and Algerian education ministries, during an official visit made by the Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu to Algeria. The Romanian official pointed out that broadening cooperation with non-EU member countries is a major element in Romanias plan to improve bilateral relations with its traditional partners, Algeria included. According to Minister Meleşcanu, Romania and Algeria have reached an important stage of strengthening their relations, and this reflects in the firm political will to encourage dialogue and cooperation, particularly in the economic sector, in education, security and home affairs. Teodor Meleşcanu also reaffirmed Romanias interest in a close cooperation in fighting and preventing radicalisation.




    EASTER – For Orthodox Christians in Romania and around the world, Holy Week begins today, with special services performed every night of the week in churches to commemorate the last days in the life of Jesus Christ before being crucified. The most important masses are the ones on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. By means of fasting and confessions, believers prepare for Easter, the greatest feast in Orthodox Christianity. Catholic Christians celebrated the first day of Easter yesterday.




    ACCIDENT – The Romanian Embassy in Hungary is closely monitoring the situation of the 8 Romanian citizens injured in an accident on the runway of the Budapest International Airport, and is prepared to provide consular assistance if so requested. Two buses taking the passengers of an aircraft that had arrived from Bucharest crashed on Sunday. Hungarian police are investigating the exact circumstances of the accident.




    MOLDOVA – An opinion poll is currently run in the Republic of Moldova, concerning a prospective union with Romania. The poll is scheduled to end on April 14 and will involve 500 operators who will go door to door to collect the answers. Electronic voting is also an option. On March 27 events were organized to mark 100 years since Bessarabia joined the Kingdom of Romania. In Bucharest, Parliament convened in a special session to honour the authors of that historic decision. Previously, in Chisinau, tens of thousands of citizens took part in a rally, asking for the Republic of Moldova to be reunited with Romania. A province with a Romanian-speaking majority that had been part of the Tsarist Empire, Bessarabia joined the Kingdom of Romania on March 27, 1918. The Soviet Union reannexed the province under an ultimatum in 1940, and some of its territory now constitutes the Republic of Moldova.




    HANDBALL – CSM Bucureşti won Romanias Cup in womens handball for the 3rd consecutive year. The Bucharest-based club defeated HCM Râmnicu Vâlcea 29-22. CSM Bucureşti, coached by the Swede Per Johansson, played its 4th consecutive Romanian Cup final, which they already won in 2016 and 2017.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • March 19, 2017

    March 19, 2017

    PARTY ELECTIONS – The leaders of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania (ALDE), a junior partner of the Social Democrats in the ruling coalition, convene today to set a date for the congress in which the party will elect its president. ALDE is currently headed by the Senate Speaker, Calin Popescu Tariceanu, and the Environment Minister, Daniel Constantin. According to news agencies, the two disagree over the date of the congress. Tariceanu wants quick preparations for an election in late April, whereas Constantin argues that party elections should begin in local branches, and the newly elected county leaders should decide who the next party president will be.




    ORLY AIRPORT ATTACK – Flights have been resumed at Orly Airport, near Paris, one day after a shooting triggered the temporary closing down of two terminals, AFP reports. An armed man was shot dead on Saturday while attempting to steal a soldiers gun on that airport. According to the authorities, Ziyed Ben Belgacem, a 39-year old Frenchman held an air pistol at the soldiers head, saying he wanted to die for Allah. Earlier the same day the man had been involved in a shooting and car theft.




    PERU FLOODS – More than 70 people died in the worst floods and landslides in 20 years in Peru, the authorities have announced. The heavy rainfalls that lasted for several days have caused flooding and mudslides in large parts of the country, news agencies reported. A state of emergency has been declared in over 800 towns. According to authorities, this years rainy season brought precipitations 10 times more intense than usual. Over 500,000 people were evacuated as floods washed away homes, and many are stranded and depend on bottled water deliveries, after drinking water sources were contaminated or supply was cut off.



    CHUCK BERRY DIES – The American rock legend Chuck Berry died on Saturday at the age of 90. During a 7-decade long career the guitarist, singer and songwriter refined rhythm and blues music and enriched it with elements that made rock&roll an independent music style. Chuck Berrys first hit, the 1955 Maybellene, was followed by other famous songs like Roll Over Beethoven, Sweet Little Sixteen and Johnny B Goode. In 1984 he won a Grammy for lifetime achievement, and in 1986 he was one of the first musicians inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Chick Berry was planning a studio album release in 2017, after a 38-year break.



    RUGBY EUROPE – Romania is playing against Georgia in Bucharest today, in the last game in the current season of Rugby Europe Championship. The match is seen as a virtual final of the competition, given that the Georgians lead the standings with 18 points, followed by Romania with 15. Rugby Europe Championship has replaced, as of this year, the former European Nations Cup, the second-tier continental rugby competition after the famous Six Nations. So far in the competition, Romania won against Belgium and Russia away from home and against Spain on home turf, but surprisingly lost its away match against Germany. The performance in Rugby Europe Championship is also taken into account for qualification to the 2019 World Cup in Japan.



    GYMNASTICS WORLD CUP – The Romanian gymnast Catalina Ponor is competing today in the beam and floor finals of the World Cup in Baku, Azerbaidjan. She is the only member of the Romanian team to have reached the finals of this competition. 120 athletes from 21 countries are taking part in the Gymnastics World Cup in Baku, which marks the start of preparations for the European competitions to be held in the north-western Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca in April.