The history of aviation in Romania
One can state that the history of Romanian aeronautics is the history of flight itself.
- 1906
in Paris, Traian Vuia was the first to design and pilot a heavier-than-air flying machine able to take off without a catapult by entirely relying on it's own engine. - 1910
- on Cotroceni field, near Bucharest, Aurel Vlaicu made the first public demonstration by flying his own designed and built airplane.
- another young and talented Romanian engineer named Henry Coanda designed the first jet aircraft, thus anticipating by more than 30 years the first commercial applications of the jet engine. - 1920
the French-Romanian Company For Air Navigation (CFRNA) was founded. Using French-built POTEZ aircraft, the company provided passenger, mail and cargo transportation, by air, from Paris to Bucharest, via Strasbourg, Prague, Vienna and Budapest. In other words, the CFRNA was the first operative Trans-continental airline in the history of aviation! - 1923
CFRNA made its first passenger international night flight, between Belgrade and Bucharest. - 1925
CFRNA changed its name into CIDNA (The International Air Navigation Company). - 1926
CIDNA opened the first domestic Romanian route Bucharest - Galati. - 1930
the first national airline LARES (The Romanian Air Lines) was established. Seven years later, LARES merged with SARTA (The Romanian Air Transport Society Ltd.). - 1945
TARS (Romanian Soviet Air Transport) was founded. - 1954
TARS ceased operations and TAROM (Romanian Air Transport ) was founded on September 18.