What next for Eastern European aviation? Notes from the Aviation-Event in Moldova

I recently had the chance to travel to Chisinau, the capital of Moldova, to attend the 2024 Aviation-Event, a conference focused on the state and perspectives of the commercial aviation industry in that part of Europe.

This edition of Aviation-Event was hosted by Chisinau international airport and, actually, Moldova is quite an interesting case study of a country that I’d say punches above its weight when it comes to commercial aviation.

Despite being a small country, with a complicated geopolitical situation: in addition to being next Ukraine (Moldovan airspace was completely closed for several weeks right after the Russian invasion of Ukraine) and for the last three decades part of the country has been controlled by a non-recognized separatist entity). Add to this one of Europe’s lowest levels of income per capita and it starts to appear quite amazing that the Moldovan market has been able to support two or even three local airlines at any one time.

So, at this conference we had a look at the factors that make it possible as well as the projected growth in the region, with or without war in Ukraine.

After Air Moldova suspended operations in 2023, Chisinau (which changed its IATA airport code from KIV to RMO in early 2024) is currently home to two airlines: low cost carrier Flyone (which has branched out into Armenia) and Moldovan-Romanian airline HiSky Europe, which operates in the leisure-charter market.

Turkish Airlines, LOT, Tarom and Austrian Airlines ensure also global connectivity through their respective hubs, all located within less than 2h flight of Chisinau.

However, as is often the case in Eastern Europe, the other major player in the Moldovan air travel market is, of course, Wizz Air.

No surprise, then, that one of the highlights of the conference was the keynote delivered by Wizz Air’s president Robert Carey (not to be confused with the airline’s CEO, Joszef Várady!), who reiterated the commitment of the low cost carrier, not just to the Moldovan market, but also, whenever circumstances permit, to Ukraine. It is no secret that, when and if the war ends, Wizz Air aspires to be the leading airline in passenger traffic to and from Ukraine.

Another focal point of the conference was, of course, the war in Ukraine. What happens in Ukraine is of vital importance to Moldova, not just because of its proximity to the front line, but also, because the country is also part of the geopolitical pulse between Russia and the West, with Moldova having recently gained EU candidate status.

The way the Ukrainian airline industry is coping with the effects of the Russian invasion and the perspectives for the Ukrainian air travel market for the day after the way is over featured also prominently in the event’s agenda. This was also the object of a keynote presentation by French travel journalist Luc Citrinot and the panel discussion that followed.

Suffice to say there is a plan to thoroughly rebuild Ukraine’s five main international airports and bring back the Ukrainian air travel market to the 16.2 million of passengers per year it handled before the war in the shortest amount of time possible. But its implementation will depend, of course, on what happens in the battlefield…

With or without war next door, however, Moldova has a rather optimistic outlook when it comes to passenger traffic, with the idea that it could double (albeit from a relatively low base), to 6 million passengers per year within a decade.

Moldova remains, after all, a rather little known tourist destination in Europe, although, as the conference attendees can attest, this is not due to the lack of charms!