Bucharest Otopeni Intl Airport (OTP) Flights & Flight Status

Bucharest Otopeni Airport is the busiest airport in Romania and the hub for TAROM, the Romanian national carrier and oldest airline in the country. The airline is part of the SkyTeam alliance, including other European carriers like Air France and KLM. While the country remains an up-and-coming destination, it is still an important hub for travel within southeastern Europe. Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport (OTP) serves the region with frequent flights although it lacks any long-haul connectivity. Still, it serves an important role in the SkyTeam network, and Romania is worth exploring as a destination with Bucharest Airport often the front door to the country. These pointers will help you navigate OTP, no matter where you are going.

One, easy-to-navigate terminal

The airport has only one terminal, but it is divided into separate departure, arrival and transit areas. While TAROM operates its hub network here, its limited fleet means that not all flights are daily or operated with short connections between flights. This means that airport amenities play a larger role than usual.

While this is the hub for TAROM, it is not a bustling operation throughout the day. The busiest time is during the morning and evening hours. I have flown through Bucharest many times to get to places like Chisinau, Moldova or Sofia, Bulgaria, which are not always as easy to reach from other airports in Europe.

OTP’s main terminal features one long space of minimal shops and restaurants plus one airport lounge, which is open to the terminal meaning it receives excessive noise (hardly the quiet and relaxing space that it should be). It used to be operated by TAROM, but the home airline ceded operations to the airport.

Departing passengers use one building while arriving passengers are directed to another, which means the airport is not as crowded a space as one might expect.

The airport had planned to modernise with a new terminal and expand the capacity of passengers from Bucharest, but the project has been delayed with no future plans at the moment. This is disappointing because the airport lags neighbouring facilities in other Eastern European capitals.

The one and only lounge

The Dacia Business Lounge is the only lounge at the airport, and it serves all passengers travelling in the premium cabin on their flights. TAROM passengers with SkyTeam Elite Plus status also benefit from access (no matter what their cabin of travel). As a result, it can be hard to find a seat at times.

I like the mix of snacks here, which includes everything from salad to pizza, but the temperature can be blazing given the walls of glass and limited air conditioning. It would be nice if TAROM had its own lounge separate from the other carriers in its home airport since this space can become crowded during certain times of day.

What to eat and drink at Bucharest airport

If you do not have lounge access, OTP airport won’t leave you bored. There are some food and beverage options after security, and the airport is on track to expand the array. It has recently issued new tenders for a greater variety of venues to open, and this will help passengers to have a better experience.

The pizza at Fornetti is worth a try, and of course, Brioche Doree always does a fine job with its croissants and other French pastries. Hopefully, the new food and beverage options coming to the airport will only make the options better.

Flights from OTP

Despite being the airline’s hub, TAROM has not been able to support long-haul links in recent years. I flew a Delta flight from New York JFK to Bucharest, when the route existed, but it no longer does. You can still use TAROM to fly around the region or to nearby destinations like Beirut and Trieste. These smaller cities are what make the airline important to the SkyTeam alliance.

At present, the airport has no intercontinental, long-haul flights. Instead, passengers must connect to larger network carriers like Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines, which fly from here. There are also several domestic cities that are reachable through the Bucharest hub.

Wizz Air has also made a hub out of OTP, and this has caused quite a buzz in the airfare world. It operates out of Terminal 1 and flies to numerous cities around Europe and the Middle East with budget fares.

Ryanair also maintains a strong presence at the airport serving numerous destinations at its cut-rate fares. While the airport has just over a dozen jet bridges, most flights (especially low-fare carriers) leave from remote stands. This means that passengers must take buses to reach the plane.

The airport also has seasonal service to resort destinations like Heraklion, Santorini, Palma de Mallorca and Nice.

Instead of building a new terminal, the airport is expanding its apron to accommodate more space for planes to board by bus. This is not very passenger-friendly, and it means that travellers must get to their gates earlier than necessary.

Two airports, one city

Bucharest has a second airport, Aurel Vlaicu Airport, but it is used mostly by a locally-owned, low-fare airline. Otopeni remains the major airport for the Romanian capital with a mix of full-service and low-cost carriers like Wizz Air flying from there.

How to get to and from OTP

The easiest way to get into town is via taxi or rideshare service, but this is also the most expensive. Do not fall for the aggressive sales pitches of taxis waiting to pick up arrivals. Instead, enter your destination into one of the yellow kiosks to have an official price voucher printed for where you are headed. Once you request one, a corresponding driver will enter the airport to pick you up.

There is also a public bus (#783) that goes from the airport into the city centre. It is the cheapest way to get into town, but makes several stops along the way after departing from the ground floor of the arrivals building at the airport.

There is also a train that goes from the airport directly to the main train station, Bucharest Gara de Nord. It is a nonstop ride and a great option for those that do not want to pay for a taxi. If you take the train (tickets are inexpensive), you can then pick up a taxi or rideshare to your destination from there.

The train can help avoid the traffic jams that taxis encounter during the morning and late afternoon rush. But, it is important to note that the train station is not in the city centre. It is farther north of town, but can still shave a bit off the cost of a ride from the airport.

Airport amenities

If you find yourself with extra time at Bucharest’s main airport, there are numerous ways to pass the time. This includes getting a haircut at the barber shop, visiting the many duty free stores, praying in the chapel or even picking up medication at the pharmacy.

There are shops and dining options both before and after security, which is a welcome perk for those that are sending off or waiting for inbound travellers.

Beyond the main airport lounge, if you have a long layover here, there is not much space to rest besides the rows of chairs in the gate areas. There are no transit hotels or napping pods other than what you invent yourself.

Even the airport lounge, which is supposed to be a place to relax, is open to the terminal, crowded and noisy. At least, there is free Wi-Fi in the airport.

Important tips for flying through Bucharest Otopeni Airport

I recommend waiting to exchange currency until you reach the city centre where banks offer a better rate. Avoid using the currency exchange counters at the airport. If you have an ATM card, look for a bank-operated ATM (not an independent one) where you can also score a good rate.

With the growth of low-cost airlines at Bucharest, there has been a growing number of passengers that build their own connections on separate ticket numbers. You can save a significant amount of money this way, but there are some considerations to keep in mind.

Airlines like Wizz Air and Ryanair do not partner with carriers like TAROM, for example. If you plan to create your own connection on separate tickets, you will need to allow enough time to exit security, collect bags and recheck them in with your next ticketed airline.

If you are making this type of self-transfer without checked baggage, then it is much easier because you do not need to worry about going landside to collect your bags. Romania is part of the European Union, and travellers making onward connections within the EU need not worry about going through immigration again.

Other changes at the airport include a larger parking area and improved baggage conveyor systems. All of these are welcome changes to make travelling through the airport more convenient for passengers.