Bucharest Băneasa Aurel Vlaicu International Airport — Bucharest, Romania

Before Otopeni existed, Băneasa was Bucharest's airport, and the code BBU still marks the spot today at Bucharest Băneasa Aurel Vlaicu International Airport. Its full name honors Aurel Vlaicu, an early Romanian aviation pioneer who designed and flew his own aircraft in the years before the First World War. The field rests at 297 feet, and a single runway remains in service today. For decades this was Bucharest's principal airport, until Henri Coandă International took over the bulk of the capital's scheduled and international traffic. BBU has since shifted toward business aviation, charter flights, and smaller-scale operations rather than the high-volume service it once carried. Its history stretches back to the early twentieth century, making it one of the older aviation sites in Southeastern Europe, and daily operations today reflect that quieter, more specialized role within Bucharest's air transport network. Băneasa also sits much closer to the city center than Henri Coandă does, a proximity that keeps it popular for private and business aviation even decades after losing most of its scheduled commercial flights.