Moldova partially reopens airspace to resume Chisinau ops

The Civil Aviation Authority of Moldova has partially reopened the country’s airspace on March 22 to permit regular operations at Chisinau airport.

The regulator said that as of 1200L (1000Z) on March 22, the airspace above the airport and to the west of it, towards the border with Romania, between ground level and flight level 200 (20,000 feet) will be open for normal operations. This partial reopening will allow for relatively normal arrivals and departures at the country’s only commercial airport in Chisinau.

The remainder of Moldovan airspace remains closed to all traffic due to the safety risks posed by the ongoing war in neighbouring Ukraine. Chisinau closed its airspace on February 24, on the first day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Since then, the CAA has been authorising a few flights per day to operate repatriation charters in both directions and to deliver humanitarian cargo. Other flights were diverted to Iasi.

Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows that despite the reopening of Moldovan airspace, traffic at Chisinau airport remains minimal. Air Moldova and Airest operated one departure each from the airport on March 22.