€1.6 Billion Mega-Plan: Moldova to Expand Chisinau and Marculesti Airports

The sum is more than 40% higher than Moldova’s projected state budget deficit for 2026. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development has proposed an ambitious project to the government to develop Moldova’s national airport infrastructure, with a total estimated cost of around €1.6 billion, Mold-Street reports. The project is designed for 2026-2031 and provides for a comprehensive modernization of Chisinau International Airport, named after Eugen Doga. The project includes:

• construction of a new terminal with a capacity of up to 2,800 passengers per hour;
• reconstruction of the runway and taxiways;
• expansion of aircraft parking aprons;
• development of cargo handling, storage and refueling infrastructure, as well as parking facilities and access roads.

According to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development, the new investments would enable Chisinau International Airport to handle 7-7.2 million passengers in 2028 and around 10 million passengers by 2030. At the same time, the project provides for further development of Marculesti Airport, which is to be transformed into a regional cargo and logistics hub. The estimated investment is more than six times higher than the investment commitments assumed by Avia Invest when it took the airport under concession in 2013. The project has been included in the preliminary list of strategic investment projects that could receive funding under Moldova’s Economic Growth Plan. Under the plan, the European Union has committed €1.9 billion. Funding through the Neighborhood Investment Platform is also expected to be used.