Civil Aviation Group SRL, which includes the Romanian airline Blue Air, won the privatization process of Moldova's airline, Air Moldova, by offering 50 million Moldovan lei. (1 euro = 0.2379 Moldovan lei)

According to a Blue Air release, Civil Aviation Group also took over Air Moldova's debts worth 1.2 billion Moldovan lei.

"We are proud that Air Moldova has entered the big family of Blue Air and we are glad to be here in the Centennial Year. Blue Air's success at international level gives us the opportunity to contribute with our experience to the future of Air Moldova. We are taking further the name of the company with the confidence that it will become the pride of all Moldovans and the first travel choice. Last but not least, this development brings benefits to the local labor market, tourism and, in general, to the community," said Marius Puiu, the general manager of Blue Air.

The new shareholder states that it maintains the current Air Moldova flight schedule and the priority is to regain the customers' confidence so as to improve the commercial performance. At the same time, Civil Aviation Group is committed to turning Air Moldova into a successful modern airline with a strong and well-trained team to provide passengers with the highest standards of service, says the statement.

"Access to state-of-the-art IT technology, infrastructure development and fleet modernization, alongside the Romanian aviation industry's experience will open new horizons for Air Moldova and create the premises for sustainable development, offering new opportunities for young people to discover their career in one of the most dynamic industries," the cited document specifies.

Civil Aviation Group SRL is made up of the Romanian airline Blue Air, along with a group of investors from the Republic of Moldova. Blue Air is an IATA member and has an impeccable flight record. It is the largest Romanian airline by the number of passengers transported, with over 21 million. The development trend was maintained in 2017, when over 5 million passengers used Blue Air to fly to 16 countries across Europe. With a fleet of Boeing 737 planes, Blue Air has served over 100 routes this year. For 2019, Blue Air expects the delivery of 12 new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

Founded on 1 January, 1993, Air Moldova is the largest airline on the Moldovan market, accounting for some 50pct of air passenger transport and having connections with the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the European Union. AGERPRES (RO - author: Oana Tilica, editor: Nicoleta Gherasi; EN - author: Bogdan Gabaroi; editor: Simona Iacob)