Christian Tour and AnimaWings announce the opening of a new operational base in Timișoara, dedicated to both charter and scheduled flights.
11/04/2025 by Animawings / News
The Romanian airline AnimaWings will operate charter flights from Timișoara Airport for the tour operator Christian Tour during the 2025 summer season. Additionally, the company announces that regular flights on the Timișoara–Bucharest–Timișoara route will begin in October.
During the 2025 summer season, the 100% Romanian airline AnimaWings will operate multiple charter flights from Timișoara Airport for the tour operator Christian Tour. All charter flights will be operated with Airbus A320 aircraft, configured with 180 seats in economy class. AnimaWings is set to relocate an Airbus A320 to Timișoara for the summer season to operate these charter routes, the company announced.
AnimaWings is a 100% Romanian airline, launched in 2020 and part of the Memento Group.
“In practice, the aircraft will be able to depart early in the morning for the first vacation destination of the day, which means our tourists will enjoy their holiday to the fullest from the very first day. This is a first among tour operators in Romania,” said Cristian Pandel, President of Christian Tour.
Among the summer charter destinations operated by AnimaWings for Christian Tour are Antalya, Crete (Heraklion and Chania), Zakynthos, Corfu, Rhodes, Tenerife, Mallorca, Hurghada, and Monastir (Tunisia). However, the aircraft will remain based at Timișoara Airport long-term, including during the winter season, when AnimaWings will continue to operate charter flights for Christian Tour and/or other tour operators to winter-specific holiday destinations (such as Hurghada, Egypt or Kittila, Lapland).
"AnimaWings will begin operating regular, scheduled flights on the Timișoara–Bucharest–Timișoara route starting October 2025, with 8 weekly frequencies. In addition, together with Timișoara’s Traian Vuia Airport and the County Council, we are evaluating the creation of a permanent base in Timișoara, from which we can operate both domestic flights to Otopeni and direct international flights to destinations popular among residents of the Banat region. Concrete information regarding destinations and flight schedules will be announced shortly," said Marius Pandel, Chairman of the Board of AnimaWings.
Timișoara is a key market for both Romanian tourism and aviation, with Timișoara Airport benefiting from modern logistical infrastructure and strong operational organization. Moreover, the appetite for travel among residents of western Romania continues to grow, which is also why, in recent years—especially post-pandemic—Romanian tour operators have expanded their charter offerings (adding destinations like Tenerife, Mallorca, or Tunisia).
“We aim to offer viable alternatives in terms of schedules, onboard comfort, and quality conditions, as well as fair prices for travelers in the Banat region, with direct departures from Timișoara Airport, which is their most convenient option,” added Cristian Pandel.
“This way, they won’t need to travel hundreds of kilometers to airports outside of Romania, like Budapest, Vienna, or Belgrade, or deal with unnecessary layovers in other cities. Plus, they’ll be flying with a 100% Romanian airline.”
Charter destinations operated by Christian Tour from Timișoara include:
Timișoara – Antalya (round trip): 3 flights/week (Monday, Wednesday, Saturday)
Timișoara – Crete (Chania) (round trip): 1 flight/week (Monday)
Timișoara – Crete (Heraklion) (round trip): 1 flight/week (Tuesday)
Timișoara – Tenerife (round trip): 1 flight/week (Wednesday)
Timișoara – Mallorca (round trip): 1 flight/week (Thursday)
Timișoara – Zakynthos (round trip): 1 flight/week (Thursday)
Timișoara – Tunisia (round trip): 1 flight/week (Friday)
Timișoara – Corfu (round trip): 1 flight/week (Friday)
Timișoara – Rhodes (round trip): 1 flight/week (Saturday)
Timișoara – Hurghada (round trip): 1 flight/week (Sunday)
Part of Christian Tour Holding, Christian Tour is the largest travel agency in Romania, owned by brothers Cristian and Marius Pandel. Founded in 1997, the agency serves over 400,000 Romanian tourists annually through its online booking platform and a nationwide network of 74 sales offices. In 2023, Christian Tour reported sales revenues of over 683 million RON, marking a 62.08% increase compared to the previous year.
The agency owns its own coach fleet and charters aircraft from specialized providers or from the airline AnimaWings, also a member of the group.
The airline AnimaWings, which currently operates 4 aircraft, is set to expand its fleet this year with 2 additional Airbus A220-300 aircraft, followed by 6 more next year. The company’s fleet expansion plan aims to reach a total of 12 aircraft by the end of 2026.
