World's First Guitar-Shaped Airport Terminal, Henri Coandă International Airport sets world record

November 11, 2025

OTOPENI, Romania --The Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport, Romania's busiest international airport, located in Otopeni, 16.5 km (10.3 mi) north of Bucharest 's city center, serves as headquarters for TAROM, the country's national airline and is managed by The National Company Bucharest Airports S.A; the Finger Terminal (the air-side concourse) was designed in the form of a violin by an Italian architect; it sets the world record for being the World's First Guitar-Shaped Airport Terminal, according to the World Record Academy.

According to the representatives of the Henri Coanda Airport in Otopeni, the actual works for the construction of the new terminal were executed in almost nine months.

"There have been periods in which 600 workers were working at continuous fire," said Mihaela Chiril, spokesman for Henri Coanda Airport.

The use of this terminal, with an area of 16,600 square meters, implies a number of major changes in both the airport configuration and the annual passenger flow.

The hour peak travel will double from 1,200 passengers per peak to 2,400 passengers per peak.

The new terminal in figures

16,600 square meters is the area on which the new Schengen Terminal is expanding
24 boarding gates have a new terminal, of which 14 will be equipped with embarkation-landing docks.
4 protocol salons are in the new construction.
104 check-in counters will count the new wing, before only 52.

The airport is named after Romanian flight pioneer Henri Coandă , builder of Coandă-1910 aircraft and discoverer of the Coandă effect of fluidics.

"Prior to May 2004, the official name was Bucharest Otopeni International Airport (Romanian: Aeroportul Internațional București Otopeni)."

Henri Coandă International Airport serves as headquarters for TAROM, the country's national airline. It also serves as a base of operations for low-cost airlines Blue Air, Ryanair and Wizz Air.

"It is managed by The National Company Bucharest Airports S.A. (Compania Națională Aeroporturi București S.A.). The military section of the airport is used by the 90th Airlift Flotilla of the Romanian Air Force."

"Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport (IATA: OTP, ICAO: LROP) is Romania's busiest international airport, located in Otopeni, 16.5 km (10.3 mi) north of Bucharest's city centre. It is currently one of the two airports serving the capital of Romania, the other being the smaller Aurel Vlaicu Airport. The airport covers 605 hectares (1,495 acres) of land and contains two parallel runways, both 3,500 meters long.

"The airport is named after Romanian flight pioneer Henri Coandă (1886–1972), builder of Coandă-1910 aircraft and discoverer of the Coandă effect of fluidics. Prior to May 2004, the official name was Bucharest Otopeni International Airport (Romanian: Aeroportul Internațional București Otopeni).

"Henri Coandă International Airport serves as headquarters for TAROM, the country's national airline.[4] It also serves as a base of operations for low-cost airlines FlyOne, HiSky, Ryanair and Wizz Air. It is managed by The National Company Bucharest Airports S.A. (Compania Națională Aeroporturi București S.A.).[5] The military section of the airport is used as the 90th Airlift Base of the Romanian Air Force." (Wikipedia)

"Henri Marie Coandă; 7 June 1886 – 25 November 1972) was a Romanian inventor, aerodynamics pioneer, and builder of an experimental aircraft, the Coandă-1910, which never flew. He invented a great number of devices, designed a "flying saucer" and discovered the Coandă effect of fluid dynamics.

"In the 1950s, Coandă inflated his importance in aviation history, describing falsely how he had invented the air-breathing jet engine and incorporated that design into the Coandă-1910 aircraft. However, his ducted engine design, the "turbo-propulseur", was described in its patent as working the same way with either water or air running through." (Wikipedia)

"TAROM; legally Compania Națională de Transporturi Aeriene Române TAROM S.A.) is the flag carrier and oldest currently operating airline of Romania, based in Otopeni near Bucharest. Its headquarters and its main hub are at Henri Coandă International Airport. It is currently the first and largest airline operating in Romania based on international destinations, international flights and the second-largest measured by fleet size and passengers carried.

"The brand name is an acronym of the Romanian: Transporturile Aeriene Române (Romanian Air Transport). Over ninety-seven percent (97.22%) of TAROM is owned by the Romanian Government (Ministry of Transport). The airline transported almost 2.75 million passengers in 2018, with an average load factor of 74%. The airline joined SkyTeam on 25 June 2010." (Wikipedia)