Blue Air, the second-biggest airline in Romania, will stop operating flight from Timisoara, the biggest city in Western Romania, after frictions with the airport operator. Blue Air made the announcement on its website.

“Due to frictions generated by the Traian Vuia International Airport in Timisoara, we have to announce you about Blue Air’s decision to cancel the Timisoara-Iasi-Cluj-Napoca flights, effective immediately,” the company announced.

“It’s a shame that after a long collaboration we reached this point, but it seems that the presence of Romanian companies on the Romanian market is not well received,” the company’s representatives added.

They didn’t offer more details on what caused the frictions with the airport operator. These may be the fees charged by the airport or the slots allotted for Blue Air flights.

The Timisoara-Iasi-Cluj-Napoca route was the only one that Blue Air operated from Timisoara.

Blue Air, which surpassed state-owned Tarom as the biggest Romanian airline, was the first to challenge Tarom’s supremacy on the domestic routes. Wizz Air and Ryanair also operate domestic flights now.

The Timisoara Airport’s general manager commented on Blue Air’s announcement saying that the company hadn’t officially notified the airport on its decision. He said that Blue Air was late in paying its debt to the airport and that the airport had sent several payment notices to the company, which may have caused this reaction, local Digi24 reported.

Romanian airline Blue Air carries over 5 million passengers in 2017

editor@romania-insider.com