Avram Iancu Cluj International Airport — Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Transylvania's unofficial capital owes much of its recent economic energy to CLJ, which has grown from a modest provincial airfield into one of Romania's busiest airports as Cluj-Napoca reinvented itself as a technology and university hub. The airport's name honors Avram Iancu, a 19th-century Romanian revolutionary leader from the Apuseni Mountains who remains a folk hero in Transylvanian history. Low-cost carriers such as Wizz Air, which bases aircraft here, and Ryanair have driven much of the growth, linking Cluj-Napoca to dozens of destinations across Western Europe and turning the airport into a lifeline for the large Romanian diaspora working abroad. A single runway handles the traffic, supported by a terminal that has undergone repeated expansion to accommodate steadily climbing passenger numbers. Beyond the tech sector and diaspora travel, the airport also serves tourists heading toward the fortified churches, medieval towns, and mountain scenery scattered across Transylvania, making it a genuine alternative gateway to the region alongside Romania's capital, Bucharest.