AnimaWings joins London Gatwick’s growing portfolio, offering new flights to Romania’s capital
- AnimaWings launches new six-times weekly service from London Gatwick to Bucharest Otopeni
- Operated using modern Airbus A220-300 aircraft with multiple cabin classes
- New service offers passengers more choice for direct travel to Romania’s capital
AnimaWings has launched its first service from London Gatwick, with flights to Bucharest Otopeni beginning on Sunday 22 March.
The route operates six times per week from London Gatwick’s South Terminal, offering passengers more choice for direct travel to Romania’s capital. Flights are operated using modern Airbus A220-300 aircraft and offer Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy travel options.
Bucharest offers travellers a vibrant blend of history, culture and nightlife, from its Belle Époque boulevards and landmark architecture to its growing café and restaurant scene. The city is also an increasingly popular short break destination and serves as a key gateway to wider Romania, including historic Transylvania and the Carpathian Mountains.
Jonny Macneal, Head of Aviation Development, London Gatwick said: “We’re delighted to welcome AnimaWings to London Gatwick, bringing a new six-times weekly connection to Bucharest Otopeni on their modern A220 aircraft. The service adds greater choice for passengers travelling between the UK and Romania and further strengthens our extensive European network. It’s fantastic to see a new carrier join the airport and we look forward to supporting AnimaWings as they begin operations at London Gatwick.”
Marius Pandel, Chief Executive Officer, AnimaWings said: "The launch of our London Gatwick – Bucharest service marks an important milestone in AnimaWings’ international expansion and our commitment to connecting Romania with key European markets. The United Kingdom is a strategic destination, with strong business, tourism and diaspora ties, and we are proud to offer passengers a new full-service travel option on this route. Through our modern Airbus A220-300 fleet and multi-cabin product, we aim to deliver a comfortable, high-quality experience that reflects our ambition to redefine Romanian aviation standards. We are also delighted to partner with London Gatwick and look forward to building a strong and lasting presence together."
AnimaWings is one of eight new airlines joining London Gatwick this year as the airport continues to broaden its global network.
With around 43m annual passengers, London Gatwick is the UK’s second largest and one of Europe’s top airports. It is a vital piece of national infrastructure that drives both the national and regional economies by generating £5.5bn GVA and supporting over 76,000 jobs (2023). A record 57 airlines fly from the airport, serving 167 short-haul and 60 long-haul destinations. With a declared maximum capacity of 57 movements an hour, London Gatwick is the most efficient single runway airport in the world.
The airport is located 28 miles south of the UK capital and is extremely well-connected, with more than a quarter of England’s population (15m people) – including all of London – less than one hour away by road or rail. A six-year, £2bn sustainable growth programme includes an ambitious plan to be a net zero airport by 2030 and to increase capacity by bringing the airport’s existing Northern Runway into routine use, alongside its Main Runway. VINCI Airports owns a 50.01% stake in the airport, with Global Infrastructure Partners managing the remaining 49.99%.
VINCI Airports, as the leading private airport operator in the world, manages the development and operation of more than 70 airports located in 14 countries. VINCI Airports draws on its expertise as a comprehensive integrator to develop, finance, build and operate airports, leveraging its investment capability and know-how to optimise operational performance and modernise infrastructure while bringing about their environmental transition. In 2016, VINCI Airports became the first airport operator to commit to an international environmental strategy, setting itself the aim of reaching zero net emissions (scope 1 and 2) across the network by 2050 while supporting the territories’ local climate transition.
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Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a part of BlackRock, is a leading infrastructure investor that specialises in investing in, owning and operating some of the largest and most complex assets across the energy, transport, digital infrastructure and water and waste management sectors. With energy pragmatism central to our investment thesis, we are well positioned to support the global energy transition.
GIP’s scaled platform has over $170bn in assets under management. We believe that our focus on real infrastructure assets, combined with our deep proprietary origination network and comprehensive operational expertise, enables us to be responsible stewards of our clients’ capital and to create positive economic impact for communities. For more information, visit www.global-infra.com.
AnimaWings is a 100% Romanian airline, launched in 2020 and part of Memento Group, alongside tour operator Christian Tour. The company brings together a team of professionals delivering comfortable travel experiences through both scheduled and charter flights, implementing systems, procedures, and safety protocols at exceptional standards.
Currently in a strong expansion phase, the airline operates the newest fleet in Romanian aviation. Starting April, AnimaWings will operate a fleet of 8 modern Airbus aircraft, including 4 Airbus A220 aircraft delivered directly from the factory in the past six months. The company’s expansion plan targets a total fleet of 18 aircraft by the end of 2027.
