Avram Iancu International Airport in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, has put 12 automated border control gates supplied by SITA into operation for passengers on flights to and from countries outside the Schengen Area.
Six of the gates are in the departures terminal, where they process European Union passengers traveling to non-Schengen destinations. The other six are in the arrivals terminal for EU passengers arriving from non-Schengen countries. The gates use biometric verification and secure reading of electronic travel documents to run automated identity checks on eligible passengers under the supervision of Romania’s Border Police.
The investment was worth 12,084,739 lei, excluding VAT, according to the Cluj County Council, which oversees the airport as an autonomous public enterprise. The council said the system can process several passengers at once, with a single Border Police officer able to monitor a group of six gates, and that its interfaces and guidance systems are designed to help passengers complete border formalities.
The council said the system is intended to increase passenger processing capacity, ease passenger flows and improve operational efficiency while maintaining security standards. In the arrivals terminal, the gates are meant to make better use of the available space and manage passenger flows from non-Schengen countries until the terminal expansion project is completed.
The gates were presented on October 27 at a press conference held as a guided tour of the departures and arrivals terminals, alongside a new Category III instrument landing system for operations in dense fog. Both systems are now operational.
“We are witnessing today the operationalization of two of the most important projects in the history of Cluj International Airport,” said Alin Tișe, president of the Cluj County Council. He said the council would continue to support the airport’s modernization to strengthen its role as Transylvania’s main air gateway.
“Investments in modernizing airport infrastructure are not only a response to present needs, but reflect strategic decisions and plans aimed above all at strengthening the capacity to adapt to future challenges,” said council vice president Radu Rațiu, who attended the presentation. “A modern airport certainly means more opportunities for business and tourism, as well as greater connectivity.”
The airport handled more than 3.5 million passengers in 2025, about 10 percent more than the previous year.
Sources: Cluj County Council, Agerpres, Informat.ro
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
