With the launch of the route between Bucharest and New York, HiSky becomes the first private company in Romanian aviation history to operate scheduled flights to the United States and the first airline to introduce this destination into its regular schedule since the discontinuation of flights by the national carrier, in 2003.
For the inaugural flight, the pilot in command transporting the first passengers to the USA is none other than the HiSky CEO, Iulian Scorpan, a commander pilot with over 20 years of experience.
"Alongside the passengers we have on board for the flight to New York, we are experiencing a remarkable moment today, and June 7 will be remembered as the day the path from Romania to the USA reopened, after almost 21 years. We are extremely honored to be the company that fulfills this desire of passengers from Romania and the diaspora. We thank everyone for the trust they have placed in us over the past three years on European routes. This has given us the courage and energy to dare to dream of transoceanic journeys, and after a lot of hard work, here we are, taking off for the first time to New York. After today's achievement, the next dream, which I am convinced we will soon fulfill, is to land in New York with the first Romanian passengers stepping on American soil without a visa", said Iulian Scorpan, CEO of HiSky.
Regular flights connecting Henri Coandă Airport with New York's main airport, John F. Kennedy, will be operated four times a week, departing from Romania every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, and return. The HiSky aircraft will take off from Bucharest at 8:30 AM local time and will land in New York at 11:35 AM local time. For return flights, the aircraft is scheduled to take off from JFK Airport at 1:25 PM local time to arrive at Otopeni at 6:15 AM local time.
The long-haul aircraft used for the transoceanic flight, an Airbus A330-200, is the first of its type registered in Romania and joined the HiSky fleet last December. With an autonomy of over 14 hours and a cruising speed of 870 km/h, the A330-200 is one of the most popular wide-body models, powered by two Rolls Royce Trent 772B engines. The aircraft that took off for New York has a two-aisle configuration and a total of 275 seats, divided into two service classes, business and economy.
According to traffic data, HiSky is, since 2023, the second-largest Romanian airline by the number of passengers transported and the fourth most important operator at Romanian airports. Bucharest is HiSky's main operational base, but the company also operates regular flights from airports in Iași, Baia Mare, Cluj Napoca, Timișoara, and Chișinău, as well as charter flights in partnership with major travel agencies.
The direct Bucharest-New York route is also accessible to passengers from Cluj-Napoca and Chișinău. The company's reservation system offers the option to purchase direct flights with only a one hour and 10-minute connection at Bucharest airport.
