The city has two airports.

The oldest and closest to the city, Băneasa Airport (tel.: 9371), traditionally served low cost companies, as well as charter and private flights. The airport faced more and more pressure because of the extensive residential area South of it (and its proximity to the city proper), and all regular traffic, including all low cost carriers, moved to the Henri Coandă in late March 2012. The airport nowadays serves only business and private flights, as well as bigger birds coming for the rehab and maintenance works at the adjacent unit.

Built in 1971, Henri Coandă, a. k. a. Otopeni Airport (tel.: (021)2041000), located 10 km. further on the road to Ploiești, still serves most flights. Tarom is the national airline carrier (often with bigger rates than others though), yet the biggest operator is low cost carrier Blue Air, also located here. Major European and Middle Eastern airways serve Bucharest, while low cost airline traffic has greatly increased in recent years; the latest addition here, long expected given the lack of highway infrastructure and far from great train service on long distances, is that of low cost domestic flights, with Ryan Air, Blue Air and Wizzair services. It is worth looking into those before booking yourself on a 10 or 12 hour bus or train ride to remote destinations up North or West. All capitals of neighbouring countries are served by direct flights. From my experience, for certain European destinations, Air Serbia and Air Moldova, respectively for long haul flights Turkish Airlines have better rates than other airlines (also given their checked luggage fare policy), but that is by no means a general rule.

Both Băneasa and Otopeni airports are served by buses #783 and #784 that run according to the schedule here(select the number of the bus in the left hand dropdown list, and then you have two links with the departure times downtown, respectively at the airport, on top of the page): zi de lucru = week day; sâmbătă = Saturday; duminică = Sunday. Buses work with multi trip cards (both cards and credit for them available at the aluminium STB kiosks) and go on the following route, with a minor difference between #783 and #784 in the last stage of the journey: Otopeni – Băneasa – the Arch of Triumph – Victoria Square - Romană Square – University Square – Unirea Square (basically, the #783 goes straight from University to Unirea squares, while the #784 makes a detour via Mircea Vodă Avenue, but they use the same terminus stop at Unirea Square). The Băneasa is also served by regular city buses (that work on regular tickets bought from the same kiosks), # 131 and 301 from Romană Square. Bus line #780 from both airports to București Nord Railway Station and farther to Basarab Railway Station was discontinued in August 2021 (as there is a train service instead). Lastly, bus #782 goes from Băneasa Shopping Centre to the Bucharest OTP airport (find schedules at the link above). The bus stop at Otopeni Airport for #782, #783 and #784 lies as you exit the domestic arrivals terminal to the right (from the international arrivals terminal, take the elevator or the escalators down to the ground level, then exit and turn to the right). Buy tickets at the STB kiosk or at the machine there.

As of December 2020 there also exists a train service from Bucharest Henri Coandă Airport (Otopeni) to București Nord Railway Station; the ride takes about 25 minutes one way and there are three operators: CFR (the state run operator), Regio Călători and Trans Feroviar Călători. As you come out of luggage claim and customs (for international flights, if you arrive on a domestic flight, go upstairs to the international arrival level), in the public area (still inside), look for the CFR kiosk (if you travel on a CFR train), get your ticket and then exit, you will see the railway station on the same level, with a tunnel-like transparent shelter. Check out this website for up-to-date schedules for the train. Type in “București Nord” for the main railway station in the city, respectively “Aeroport Henri Coandă” for the airport terminal. For the CFR run ones, you can do tickets online here; for the other two operators, you can buy tickets on their respective webpages or directly from the conductor. As always in Romania, do not rely on tight train connections, allow at least 20-30 minutes for safe commuting. If you need go farther than București Nord Station by train, you can do all your tickets at the CFR ticket office in the airport or online, of course. Especially during weekdays towards the evening, this is the fastest and hassle free way of getting to the city (as from the railway station you can get on the subway). At other times, the bus (#783, #784, #782) or a taxi might be faster, depending on your destination.

Taxis, finally. In late February 2013, the TaxiFly monopoly at the airport was gone. Now most of the big taxi companies in the city can both take passengers to and pick passengers from the airport, but, starting on April 1, 2016, new regulations were enforced requiring taxis to have a minimum 500 liter (0.5 cubic metre) capacity boot, respectively their drivers to have a clean criminal record and a special badge to be allowed to pick up passengers from the arrival hall. As many regular taxis in town use a mixture of petrol and gas and therefore have a separate LPG tank placed in their boot, many no longer complied with the boot size restriction and a taxi crisis struck, so that regulations were soon changed again. Back to facts, as of June 2016 there are two options:

1. 1.Order one: arriving at the airport, whether you notice or not the banner and fliers providing information on the ways to order a taxi, there are self service machines at the international arrival exit (on the first floor of the building), where you can order a taxi from one of the regular companies. You get a receipt, stating the number of your taxi, then walk outside with the receipt and wait for your taxi, looking for the company and number you have. The process can be lengthy if there are many passengers (i.e. when many flights arrive more or less at the same time).
   

2. 2.Taxis are nowadays allowed to queue in front of the international arrival hall (on the first floor) and one can simply take one of those in line, without ordering. Just look for the reputable companies listed below if taking this option.
   

On occasions where there is a big queue at the order machines and there are no taxis outside, you might be tempted to follow the ‘taxi rapid’ / ‘fast taxi’ signposts and walk downstairs to take one of the taxis readily available there (on the ground floor level): do not, these cars charge RON 3.50 / km. while the ride is not at all faster. Instead, without exiting the arrival hall or going downstairs, turn to the right, along the connection passage into the departure hall (a 100 m. walk inside), then go out and wait for a minute or two until a taxi comes to drop someone off, wave it and you are on, no receipts and phone calls required. But make sure it is from a reputable company and that the driver turns the meter on upon starting. Reputable companies include CrisTaxi, Cobălcescu, Meridian, Leone, Speed Taxi, with a fare of RON 1.69 - 2.10 / km. A ride from the airport to the centre with one of the cars belonging to the regular companies above should never go over the equivalent of RON 60-70 unless you go to a remote district in Bucharest (usually it is about RON 50). One can also use Yango or Uber by downloading their apps, or, for a search through different local taxi companies, Clever Taxi. Never, under any circumstance, take an offer anyone would come to you with in or in front of the terminal. And, as always, make sure the driver turns the meter on and you get a receipt at the end. If there are no regular taxis at the arrivals and you do not feel comfortable waving one dropping people off at departures, better rely on one of the two buses according to your destination, at least until reaching a subway stop, the nearest being that at Gara de Nord (by bus #780), respectively Piața Victoriei (by bus #783 or #784); see my notes above on these bus routes and cards.

Access for persons with reduced mobility. The main airport, Bucharest Henri Coandă (a.k.a. Otopeni) has satisfactory dedicated endowments; there are elevators and ramps where needed (including for the stairs along the connecting hall between the arrival and departure terminals). As always, you need state the requirement for a wheelchair or further assistance upon issuing a flight ticket or by contacting the airline prior to the flight. Passenger rights for persons with reduced mobility within the EU can be found here and more data on the facilities at Bucharest Henri Coandă Airport is available here. For more information on accessibility for those with reduced mobility in Bucharest, refer to my dedicated article on the matter.

Shoppings and dining. There is the usual plethora of chain and non-chain cafes and fast foods within the Otopeni Airport, most of which are located on the ground and first floor of the departure hall, but also past security and immigration checks. By local and non-local standards, they are severely overpriced (a cup of coffee goes for EUR 2 and up, a sandwich for EUR 3 and up). For those finding them so, there are several automated coffee machines and also, on the ground floor of the arrival hall, a very well stocked Carrefour Express supermarket, where fresh pastries (even though not the real stuff, but the frozen and baked variant), sandwiches and cooked meals are available apart from the regular groceries. There are newspaper stands in the departure hall and along the arrival-departure hallway, a drug store and a bank office along the same hallway, several ATMs and also several very bad rate exchange offices (use an ATM instead); there also is a smart florist shop right inside the international arrival hall. Souvenir and the usual duty free shops ply the departure area, past security and immigration checks; needless to be said, souvenirs are far cheaper and more diversified in town.