Authorities from Romania and the Republic of Moldova marked 100 years since the inauguration of Romania's first commercial aviation route - Bucharest-Galati-Iasi-Chisinau - through an anniversary event held on Wednesday at Iasi Airport, in partnership with the Romanian Air League and the Iasi County Council.
The ceremony, hosted at airport Terminal T4, brought together officials from both countries, representatives of local administrations, members of the aeronautical community and security institutions, in a tribute to a milestone moment in the history of Romanian air transport. A commemorative plaque marking the centenary of the first commercial flight on the Bucharest-Galati-Chisinau route was unveiled, and participants visited an exhibition on aviation history featuring items from the collection of retired commander Ioan Botez, a member of the Romanian Air League.
Through this anniversary event, Iasi Airport paid homage both to the pioneers of commercial aviation and to the transformations that have made air transport one of the defining mobility systems of the modern world.
Moldova's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development, Vladimir Bolea, recalled that Chisinau has recently aligned its civil aviation celebrations with this historical moment.
'In 2025 the Republic of Moldova supported the proposal to move Civil Aviation Day to June 24. This year we celebrate it for the second time, but we also mark another important moment - 100 years since the first commercial flight, from Bucharest to Galati, and from Galati one aircraft flew to Chisinau and another to Iasi,' he said. Bolea noted that the inaugural flight also carried mail, marking the start of commercial postal aviation. 'This is why the Romanian Post and the Moldovan Post collaborated to issue several collectible stamps,' the Moldovan official added.
Iasi County Council president Costel Alexe said the vision of a century ago has become reality.
'If a century ago connecting Iasi by air was just a perspective, a vision of the future, today we can say that vision has been fulfilled and continues to develop. It is no coincidence that Iasi was part of this historic route from the very beginning,' he stated, adding that Iasi has long been a gateway to Eastern Europe and a meeting point for ideas and opportunities.
He also highlighted the natural link with Chisinau: 'We have always been brothers standing by each other on this eastern border of Europe.'
Speakers pointed out Iasi city's early role in regional air connectivity. Romanian Transport Ministry Secretary of State Irinel Scriosteanu recalled that the period of the first commercial flights coincided with the construction of numerous bridges over the Prut River, 'the start being given by the most famous minister and engineer, Anghel Saligny'.
Officials also pointed to ongoing cross-border infrastructure projects, including the new bridge over the Prut at Ungheni, part of the A8 'Union Motorway', and the planned electrified railway link between Iasi and Ungheni.
Vladimir Bolea noted recent progress: 'Yesterday I was in Brussels and signed for the feasibility study, which must be completed by the end of 2027, with work to extend the project to Chisinau starting in 2028'.
The first commercial flight on the Bucharest-Galati-Iasi-Chisinau route took place on June 24, 1926, an event considered the birth of commercial aviation in the region. The inaugural ceremony, attended by King Ferdinand I, members of the Royal Family and the diplomatic corps, included an air show at Baneasa Airport. Two De Havilland DH-9 aircraft took off for Galati, each carrying a volunteer passenger. In 1927, the DH-9s were replaced with six Czechoslovak-built Avia BH-25 aircraft. The price of a ticket on the route was equivalent to that of a train fare. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Daniela Malache; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)
