Austrian opens up sixth destination in Romania

From 21 April 2008, Austrian will incorporate a service to the destination of Baia Mare into its schedule for the first time, and launch flights to the northern Romanian city three times a week.

The destination of Baia Mare will now be added to the Group’s existing scheduled flights to Bucharest, Timisoara, Cluj, Iasi and Sibiu, letting Austrian Airlines open up Romania countrywide.

Chief Executive Officer Alfred Ötsch said the following about the new destination, Austrian Airlines’ 48th in Central and Eastern Europe: “In Baia Mare, we are pleased to be flying to a key economic centre that, together with the neighbouring region of Satu Mare, has also become the centre of the country’s automobile production in recent years.

“Austria continues to be the largest direct investor in Romania, and our connecting flights have been designed to support the successes and expansion plans of the domestic and international economy. With six destinations in Romania, we have once again confirmed our leading role as a specialist and pioneer in the East.”

Baia Mare has around 150,000 residents and is the capital of the Maramures region. The city lies close to the Carpathians on the Sasar River, and is surrounded by the Ignis and Gutai Mountains. Baia Mare ranks in third place behind Cluj and Oradea amongst the large cities of northern Romania, on the strength of the increasingly dynamic economic activity there. Due to the diverse opportunities it offers in the artistic and cultural field, the city is one of the most popular in Romania, with a wide range of theatres, museums and galleries providing a huge source of creative enjoyment.

Nature can also be appreciated close to the city, with facilities for skiing and hiking in the mountains, exceptionally beautiful nature reserves and the mild regional climate all proving a huge pull for visitors.

The direct Austrian Airlines flight will take business and other passengers to Baia Mare three times a week. Passengers will benefit from connecting flights to airports in the Austrian provinces, the Miles & More frequent flyer programme and a first-class service from DO&CO in both Business and Economy Class.