Originally, the airport in Otopeni was intended to be used as a Romanian civil aviation and military training center. During World War II, it was used as an airbase by the Luftwaffe. It was further developed in 1943, becoming one of the principal Luftwaffe bases around Bucharest. By 1944, it featured a beam approach system and two concrete runways, one of 1,370 metres (4,490 ft) aligned North-South and one of 1,190 metres (3,900 ft) aligned East-West. After 23 August 1944, the airport was used to launch air raids on Bucharest in support of the German efforts to overthrow the new government. It was bombed by the USAAF on 26 August and taken over by the Romanian military in the aftermath. Until 1965, it was a major airfield for the Romanian Air Force, with B?neasa Airport serving as Bucharest's commercial airport. In 1965, with the growth of air traffic, the Otopeni airbase was converted to a commercial airport. The runway was modernized and extended to 3,500 metres (11,500 ft) from the previous 1,200 metres (3,900 ft), making it one of the longest in Europe at that time. In August 1969, when United States President Richard Nixon visited Romania, a VIP lounge was inaugurated. A new passenger terminal (designed by Cezar L?z?rescu), with a capacity of 1,200,000 passengers per year, was opened on 13 April 1970, for domestic and international flights. An improvement program added a second runway in 1986, expanding capacity to 35 aircraft movements per hour. In 1992, Otopeni Airport became a regular member of Airports Council International (ACI). The first stage of the plan (Phase I), taking place between 1994 and 1998, involved the construction of a new departures terminal and of a new airside concourse with five jetways and nine gates (referred to as 'the Finger') as well as the extension of airport ramps and of their associated taxiways. The second phase (labeled Phase II/IIe) of the plan led to the construction of a terminal dedicated to domestic flights and of a multi-story car park (2003), the complete overhaul of the control tower (between 2005 and 2007) as well as the transformation of the old terminal building into a dedicated arrivals hall (in 2000). During the same phase, two high-speed taxiways (Victor and Whiskey) were constructed. Phase II was completed in 2007. TAROM ended its unprofitable service to New York City in November 2003. In June 2007, Delta Air Lines began flying the same route with Boeing 767s. The company made the link seasonal in 2008. Delta terminated it in September 2009 due to the recession and difficulty competing with other airlines. In June 2024, HiSky commenced service to New York, reconnecting Bucharest to the United States. The third stage of the plan (Phase III), which started in 2009, involved the extension of the airside concourse ('the Finger') with 15 new gates (nine of which have jetways), as well as the expansion of the Departure Hall (with 8 new gates). The airside concourse extension, designed by Studio Capelli Architettura & Associati, and measuring 17,000 square metres (200,000 ft2), was inaugurated on 29 March 2011. It was followed, in November 2012, by the extension of the Departure Hall to a total area of 38,600 square metres (400,000 ft2). In March 2012, all air traffic except for business air traffic was transferred from Aurel Vlaicu International Airport (at that time Bucharest's low-cost hub) to Henri Coand? International Airport. Air Canada Rouge introduced seasonal routes to Toronto and Montreal in June 2018. The carrier operated the flights with Boeing 767s. Beyond Phase III, a new terminal building (Henri Coand? 2) at the eastern end of the current location is envisaged. The new building is expected to include a large commercial space. Henri Coand? 2 will be of a modular design, consisting of four separate buildings, each capable of handling 5 million passengers annually. Each module will be built as traffic demands dictate.