OTP Airport: the Bucharest airport code explained

OTP is the IATA code for Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport, the main international airport serving Bucharest, the capital of Romania. If you see "OTP airport", "Bucharest OTP" or "Bucharest (OTP)" on a ticket or booking site, it all means the same place. The code comes from the town where the airport stands, Otopeni, which is also why many people simply call it Bucharest Otopeni Airport.

In Romanian the full name is Aeroportul Internațional Henri Coandă București, and you may also see it shortened to "Bucharest H. Coanda". The ICAO code, used in flight plans and by air traffic control, is LROP. The airport is named after Henri Coandă, the Romanian aviation pioneer known for the Coandă effect in fluid dynamics.

When people search for "Bucharest airport" or the "Bucharest airport code", this is almost always the airport they need. It welcomes full-service carriers, Romania's national airline and the low-cost airlines that link Bucharest with cities all over Europe.

Where is Bucharest Henri Coandă Airport?

Henri Coandă Airport lies in the town of Otopeni, in Ilfov County, about 16.5 km north of central Bucharest. It sits on the main DN1 road north of the city, close to the A0 ring motorway. This position makes it easy to reach from the northern districts of Bucharest.

The drive to the city centre is short in distance, but traffic on the main road into Bucharest can be heavy at rush hour. Plan on roughly 20 to 40 minutes by car depending on the time of day, and more on weekday mornings and evenings. The airport train is a good way to skip the traffic if you are heading for Gara de Nord.

OTP terminal guide: departures, arrivals and gates

Bucharest Henri Coandă works as one passenger terminal made up of three connected parts. The Departures hall holds the check-in desks and security. The Arrivals hall is where passengers collect baggage, clear customs and meet friends or drivers. The Finger terminal is the long airside concourse that holds most of the boarding gates.

In total there are 104 check-in desks and 38 gates, 14 of which have jet bridges. At the other gates you walk or take a bus to the aircraft. Because everything is under one roof, there is no need to change terminals when you connect between flights.

Schengen and non-Schengen flights

Romania is part of the Schengen area, so the terminal separates Schengen flights from non-Schengen ones. Flights to and from other Schengen countries do not go through passport control. Flights to places outside the Schengen area, such as the United Kingdom, Turkey or the Middle East, pass through border checks, so allow extra time for those departures.

Facilities at Bucharest Otopeni Airport

For a single-terminal airport, OTP covers the essentials well. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the terminal, though it can slow down at busy times. You will find cafés and eateries open around the clock, alongside restaurants serving Romanian and international food.

• Shopping and duty-free: duty-free shops sit in the departures area after security, together with shops selling Romanian wines, crafts, books and travel essentials.
• Business lounges: business and VIP lounges are available airside for eligible passengers, such as those travelling in premium cabins or holding qualifying memberships.
• Money: currency exchange desks and ATMs are available in the terminal.
• Health: there is a pharmacy in the terminal.
• Baggage services: a luggage wrapping service is available in the terminal.
• Accessibility: the terminal is built with ramps and lifts, and assistance for passengers with reduced mobility can be requested in advance.
• Parking: short-stay parking is close to the terminal, with longer-stay car parks a little further away.

Airlines and destinations at Henri Coandă Airport

Bucharest Henri Coandă is the home base of TAROM, Romania's national airline, and of HiSky. It is also a major base for the low-cost carriers Wizz Air and Ryanair, which together connect Bucharest with a long list of cities across Italy, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom and beyond. AnimaWings adds regional routes.

Many large European and Middle Eastern airlines also serve OTP, which matters for travellers coming from Asia or Australia, because there are no direct flights to Bucharest from Southeast Asia or Australia. Useful one-stop connections include:

• Qatar Airways via Doha
• flydubai via Dubai
• Turkish Airlines via Istanbul
• Lufthansa via Frankfurt or Munich
• KLM via Amsterdam and Air France via Paris
• LOT Polish Airlines via Warsaw and Austrian Airlines via Vienna

On Traveloka you can compare these connections side by side, looking at total travel time and layover length as well as the airline.

How to get from OTP Airport to Bucharest city centre

Train to Gara de Nord

The airport has its own railway station, linked to the terminal, with trains to Bucharest North Station (Gara de Nord). Trains run about every 40 minutes and the ride takes roughly 20 to 25 minutes, which avoids road traffic completely. From Gara de Nord you can continue by metro, taxi or ride-hailing, or catch mainline trains to other Romanian cities.

Express bus 100

Express bus line 100 runs around the clock between the airport and Piața Unirii in the heart of the city, stopping at key points along the way. The trip usually takes 35 to 50 minutes depending on traffic. It is a good choice if you are staying near the centre or arriving late at night. Buy a ticket or travel card at the machines or kiosks near the stop before boarding.

Taxi, Uber and Bolt

Licensed taxis wait outside the arrivals hall. Ride-hailing through Uber and Bolt is also widely used. By road, the trip to the centre generally takes 20 to 40 minutes. Use only official taxis or app-booked cars rather than drivers offering rides inside the terminal.

Car rental

International and local car rental companies have desks at the airport. Driving is convenient for trips into the mountains or elsewhere in Romania, but city traffic and parking in central Bucharest can be demanding.

Tips for flying from Bucharest Henri Coandă

• Arrive early enough. Aim to be at OTP about two hours before flights within Europe's Schengen area and about three hours before other international flights, which need passport control.
• Expect peak queues. Security and passport control can get congested in the busy morning and evening waves of departures, so do not cut it fine.
• Know your airline's rules. Low-cost carriers at OTP apply strict cabin bag size limits and online check-in rules. Check them before you travel to avoid charges at the gate.
• Winter weather. Bucharest winters can bring snow and freezing fog, which occasionally slows operations. Allow extra time for the drive to the airport on winter mornings.
• Allow for traffic. If you go by road at rush hour, leave extra time or take the train to avoid delays on the main road north.

Bucharest: what to see after you land

Bucharest mixes grand boulevards, Orthodox churches and lively cafés. The huge Palace of the Parliament is the city's best-known landmark and can be visited on guided tours. Nearby, the Old Town around Lipscani Street is full of restaurants, bars and historic churches, including the small Stavropoleos Monastery.

Along Calea Victoriei you will find the domed Romanian Athenaeum concert hall and the Revolution Square area. In the north of the city, close to the airport road, the Arcul de Triumf, the lakeside King Michael I Park (still widely known as Herăstrău) and the open-air Village Museum make a relaxed half day. Bucharest is also a good starting point for trips to the Carpathian mountains, the castles of Transylvania and the Black Sea coast.

Planning a trip to Romania? Compare flights to Bucharest on Traveloka and set a Price Alert to know when fares move.