Flight Simulator Flights at LRTC Cataloi

Tulcea Danube Delta Airport (LRTC) lies on the Danube bank in south-eastern Romania, some 16 km south of Tulcea city and close to the Danube Delta. Once served by scheduled TAROM and Fly Romania flights, it now sees no regular commercial traffic, making it a quiet destination for visiting pilots exploring the Delta region. It offers a single long, lit hard-surface runway with an ILS on one direction.

Overview

Tulcea Danube Delta Airport, also known historically as Cataloi Airport, serves the city of Tulcea and the nearby Danube Delta in south-eastern Romania. It is operated by the Tulcea County Council and ranks as Northern Dobruja's second airport after Mihail Kogălniceanu International, which serves Constanța. For a visiting VFR or IFR pilot, its appeal lies chiefly in its proximity to the Danube Delta wetlands and its long, well-equipped runway, despite the field currently seeing no scheduled airline traffic.

Airspace & Location

The airport sits at coordinates 45.0628 N, 28.7144 E, at an elevation of 167 feet, on the Danube bank roughly 16 km south of the city of Tulcea and close to the Danube Delta. It lies within Romanian airspace under Tulcea Approach control.

Runways

LRTC has one physical runway, 16/34, some 6525 feet long with a hard surface, and lit for night operations. Runway 34 is equipped with an ILS approach.

Radio & Navigation

Tulcea Approach and Tower both operate on 120.3 MHz, with the callsigns TULCEA APP and TULCEA TWR respectively. An ILS is available for runway 34.

Visual Reference Points

The airport's position on the Danube bank, adjacent to the Danube Delta wetlands south of Tulcea city, provides a distinctive and easily identifiable visual reference for pilots approaching from the surrounding area.

History

The airport opened in 1952. Romania's flag carrier TAROM operated flights between its Henri Coandă hub and Tulcea until June 2008, when the route was cancelled owing to poor ticket sales. Fly Romania subsequently served the airport until its withdrawal in August 2014, after which no scheduled flights operated from Tulcea. HiSky was expected to launch charter services to Antalya from Tulcea in June 2023, marking a possible resumption of scheduled flights, but no such services materialised that summer. A new terminal building was inaugurated on 24 April 2024.

The Airfield Today

There are currently no regular scheduled commercial passenger flights to or from Tulcea Danube Delta Airport.