Chisinau Airport remains state-owned, absorbs Marculesti hub
Moldova will keep Chișinău International Airport under state ownership and finalise its absorption of Mărculești Airport, Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Bolea announced on Wednesday following a record-breaking financial year.
Record profitability and infrastructure integration
The capital's air hub posted a net profit of €37.5 million (approx. 750 million MDL) in 2025 on total revenues exceeding €50 million (approx. 1 billion MDL). Bolea emphasized that private concession or sale is completely off the executive's agenda.
“The airport closed 2025 with approximately 750 million lei in profit and total revenues exceeding one billion lei,” Bolea said following a cabinet meeting. “Currently, there is no item on the agenda of the Ministry of Infrastructure or the Government concerning airport privatisation.”
Concurrently, authorities are concluding the legal and operational integration of Mărculești Airport into Chișinău Airport's corporate structure, executing a government decree approved on June 5, 2025. Land plots have already been transferred, while remaining operational assets will follow via a forthcoming cabinet resolution.
“We are working to finalise the absorption of the airport in Mărculești,” Bolea said. “The land has already been transferred to Chișinău Airport, and all remaining assets will follow through a government decree.”
Expanding regional cargo and seasonal operations
The merger aims to coordinate national aviation assets and develop Mărculești into a regional logistics and charter flight hub, particularly during peak summer months.
Spanning 280 hectares of public land with Free Economic Zone status, the Mărculești facility features operational customs infrastructure, border police facilities, and direct rail access. Located just over 100 kilometres from both Romania and Ukraine and connected by modern road corridors, the site offers substantial strategic transit value.
“Exact investment directions for both platforms will be clearly defined once the master plan is finalized,” Bolea noted. “There is strong foreign investor interest in developing the cargo segment at Mărculești, a sector of vital strategic importance.”
Translation by Iurie Tataru
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