Hungary and Romania’s Ministers of Economy inaugurated the Aeroplex Central Europe Ltd aircraft maintenance base in Bucharest on Thursday, developed by the Hungarian service provider in cooperation with Romania’s Romaero. In his welcoming address, Hungarian Economy Minister Márton Nagy pointed out that air transport is increasingly important in enhancing the competitiveness and connectivity of countries, and that is why the Hungarian government decided to repurchase Hungary’s air gateway, Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport.
The Minister of National Economy expressed hope that the internationally successful Hungarian Aeroplex will continue its regional expansion beyond Bucharest, extending its aircraft maintenance services across the entirety of Eastern and Central Europe through bilateral cooperation. He noted that with the Bucharest base, Aeroplex has entered a new, highly significant market, as Romania operates 17 international airports and is home to 11 airlines. Additionally, the company will significantly increase its skilled workforce capacity through this venture. Speaking to Hungarian media, Márton Nagy highlighted:
‘This is not car repair; there are very few specialists in this sector, and the demand for them is high. This is why it is crucial for Aeroplex to retain Romaero’s experts. We are witnessing an Eastern and Central European collaboration here, and the growth of Hungarian-Romanian relations in an industry of the future. We know very well that aircraft traffic–both passenger and cargo–is increasing, which means the need for maintenance of such aircraft will also rise,’
the minister said, adding that this market demand is further amplified by the slowdown in new aircraft production at both Boeing and Airbus.
Romanian Minister for Economy, Business Development, and Tourism Stefan-Radu Oprea pointed out in his remarks that many had sought to acquire Romaero’s ‘real estate treasure’ in Bucharest, as it is located in the most sought-after northern region of the Romanian capital. However, together with the company’s management, they requested bankruptcy protection to preserve Romaero, which has a century-old history, for the aviation industry. He expressed joy that through a ‘timely collaboration’ with the Hungarian state-owned company, they managed to save Romaero, which remains in Romanian state ownership. According to the Romanian minister, it is in the interest of the company’s ‘shareholders’, i.e., the Romanian taxpayers, to ensure that aircraft, rather than office buildings, are built on the land adjacent to Băneasa Airport.
Aeroplex signed an agreement with Romaero in May, under which Aeroplex utilises Romaero’s infrastructure, facilities, equipment, and expert staff at Bucharest’s Băneasa Airport to carry out maintenance for its clients.
The first client for Aeroplex in Bucharest is Lithuanian charter company KlasJet, which contracted for the maintenance of four aircraft. The first aircraft, work on which began on 1 October, has already completed its inspection.
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