Moldovan-Romanian low-cost airline HiSky announced it will be launching flights between Bucharest and New York JFK in June 2024. This will be the first time in almost 15 years for the two cities to have a non-stop link. Continue...
Moldovan-Romanian low-cost airline HiSky announced it will be launching flights between Bucharest and New York JFK in June 2024. This will be the first time in almost 15 years for the two cities to have a non-stop link.
Continue reading to learn more.
HiSky will use an A330-200 on its upcoming flights to New York. (Credit: HiSky)
HiSky’s Upcoming Bucharest – New York JFK Flights
The first HiSky flight from Bucharest to New York and back will operate on June 7, 2024. From then on, the flights will operate four times a week with the following schedule:
H4101 / Bucharest Otopeni – New York JFK / 8:00AM – 11:25AM / Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat H4102 / New York JFK – Bucharest Otopeni / 1:25PM – 6:15AM+1 / Mon, Wed, Fri, SatThe flights, blocked at 10 hours 25 minutes westbound and 9 hours 50 minutes eastbound, will be operated by the only aircraft HiSky’s fleet capable of flying that long – its sole Airbus A330-200. In fact, HiSky leased the aircraft from Air Lease Corporation for this specific purpose.
While in the past there used to be non-stop flights between Bucharest and New York, now there are none. The last airline to fly the route was Delta Air Lines which ran its flights between mid-2007 and 2009. Before that, Romania’s flag carrier, TAROM, served the route. Its Bucharest Otopeni – New York JFK flights were discontinued in 2003.
There are no other non-stop flights between Romania and the United States either. For that matter, HiSky’s route will be the only long-haul flight out of Otopeni Airport.
In the past, TAROM used to operate the route.
HiSky’s Airbus A330-200 Arrived in Romania Earlier This Week
As mentioned above, before receiving its first and so far only Airbus A330-200, HiSky did not have an aircraft capable of flying to New York non-stop. Its fleet consisted solely of Airbus narrowbodies including an A319, four A320-200s, and a pair of A321LRs.
The A330-200 that HiSky leased from Air Lease Corporation is registered YR-KID and was originally delivered to Sichuan Airlines back in 2010 as B-6517. It is the first Airbus A330 to be registered in Romania.
HiSky took delivery of the A330 on December 19, 2023. The aircraft was ferried to Bucharest from Shannon as flight H41 (HiSky flight 1). Before arriving in Bucharest, it made a brief stop in Timisoara, presumably to clear customs.
Unlike other HiSky aircraft, the A330 will be equipped with both business class and economy class. The former will consist of seats in a 2-2-2 layout while the latter will be in the standard 2-4-2 layout.
In business class, passengers will receive the same set of perks as those purchasing “Premium Plus” economy class fare with two extra checked bags and meals on top of that.
HiSky’s A330-200 arrived in Bucharest earlier this week. (Credit: HiSky)
Summary
In early June 2007, HiSky will launch flights between Bucharest Otopeni and New York JFK using an Airbus A330-200 acquired for that exact purpose. It will be by far the airline’s longest flight – otherwise, it only serves several destinations in Europe, North Africa (seasonal charters), and Tel Aviv.
The flights will be the first time the two cities to have a non-stop link since Delta discontinued its flights in 2009.
It’s interesting to see a low-cost airline that only operates short-haul flights at this point be the one attempting to make the route work. That said, given that TAROM does not operate long-haul flights anymore, no US airlines are operating flights to Bucharest, and New York can be a lucrative market, it seems like HiSky saw an opportunity to grab.
The post HiSky to Reconnect Bucharest with New York JFK in June 2024 appeared first on KN Aviation.