Aerostar
A Bacău repair shop for the Romanian Air Force built more than 1,800 Yak-52 trainers, rebuilt MiG-21s into LanceRs with Israeli help, and even made new Focke-Wulf 190s.
Aerostar: the company and the aircraft that made its name
The air force’s workshop
Aerostar began in 1953 as a repair works in Bacău, in north-eastern Romania, answering to the armed forces ministry. Its name changed several times, from U.R.A. to I.R.Av. and I.Av., before it settled on Aerostar. For decades it has looked after almost every type the Romanian military flies. Its biggest production job was a Soviet design: Aerostar built more than 1,800 Yak-52 trainers in three versions, the Iak-52, Iak-52W and Iak-52TW, many of which now fly with private owners in the West.
Yaks, LanceRs and Focke-Wulfs
After the Cold War Aerostar teamed with Israel’s Elbit Systems to modernise the air force’s MiG-21s. The result was the MiG-21 LanceR, which kept Romania’s fighter arm going for a generation; a MiG-29 Sniper upgrade stopped at the demonstrator stage. Upgraded MiG-21s also went to Mozambique. The oddest project began in 1996 with Flug Werk of Germany: brand-new Focke-Wulf Fw 190 replicas, drawn from 3.5 tonnes of wreckage and 8,000 drawings. The first flew in 2004 and 21 were sold as kits.
Boeings, F-16s and a new trainer
In 2000 the state’s 69.99 per cent stake passed to a consortium of managers, employees and IAROM, with the government keeping a golden share. Aerostar now earns much of its living from airliner maintenance, with more than 50 Boeing 737 C-checks a year by 2015, plus aerostructures and drones. Since 2021 it has maintained Romania’s F-16s, in 2024 it opened Europe’s first Black Hawk and HIMARS maintenance centres with Lockheed Martin, and in 2025 it announced the IAR 835 four-seat trainer with INCAS.
Aerostar in numbers
A empresa
- Resumidamente
- Fundada em 1953
- Founded in Bacău as a military aircraft repair works
- Formerly U.R.A., I.R.Av. and I.Av. Bacău
- Privatised in 2000; state keeps a golden share
- Second maintenance centre opened at Iași, 2020
Produção
- Mais conhecido por
- Yak-52 (Iak-52)
- More than 1,800 Yak-52 trainers built
- MiG-21 LanceR upgrade with Elbit Systems
- Festival light-sport aircraft
- 21 Fw 190 replica kits with Flug Werk
Hoje
- Agora
- MRO, aerostructures and drones
- F-16 maintenance for the Romanian Air Force since 2021
- Black Hawk and HIMARS maintenance centres with Lockheed Martin, 2024
- IAR 835 light aircraft project with INCAS, 2025
Os números
- Yak-52 trainers built
- more than 1,800
- State stake sold in privatisation
- 69.99 per cent2000
- Boeing 737 C-checks
- more than 50 a year2015
- Fw 190 replicas
- 21 kits2004–
Every notable Aerostar aircraft
| Aeronave | Papel | Primeiro voo | Construído | Status | Observação |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerostar Iak-52 / Yak-52 | Two-seat primary trainer | more than 1,800 | Em serviço | Built in Iak-52, Iak-52W and Iak-52TW versions | |
| MiG-21 LanceR | Fighter upgrade | Aposentado | Conversion of Romanian MiG-21s with Elbit Systems | ||
| MiG-29 Sniper | Fighter upgrade demonstrator | Aposentado | Did not go beyond the demonstrator | ||
| Aerostar Festival | Aeronave esportiva leve | Em produção | |||
| Flug Werk FW 190 A-8/N | Warbird replica | 2004 | 21 | Em serviço | Built with Flug Werk; Chinese ASh-82 copy engines |
| IAR 835 | Four-seat light aircraft | Em produção | Announced 2025 with INCAS; 1,200 kg maximum take-off weight |
Aerostar aircraft in the world’s air forces
1 air forces in the Order of Battle fly or flew Aerostar types. Um deles ainda tem um em serviço.
| Força Aérea | Em serviço | Anteriormente voado |
|---|---|---|
| Força Aérea de Moçambique | Light aircraft: Aerostar Festival, Cessna 152, Cessna 172, Piper Seneca |
Where Aerostar built, who led it, what it achieved
Fábricas
- Bacău works · Bacău — Headquarters; new 737 hangar completed 2012
- Iași maintenance centre · Iași Airport — Opened September 2020
Aerostar, year by year
Founded at Bacău under the armed forces ministry
Fw 190 replica programme starts with Flug Werk
State stake sold to employees’ consortium and IAROM
Boeing 737 heavy maintenance begins
First Fw 190 replica flies
New hangar for airliner maintenance completed
Iași maintenance centre opens
First F-16 phase inspection contract
Black Hawk and HIMARS maintenance centres open with Lockheed Martin
IAR 835 light aircraft announced with INCAS
Everything people ask about Aerostar
Where is Aerostar based?
Did Aerostar build the Yak-52?
What is the MiG-21 LanceR?
Who owns Aerostar?
Around Aerostar
Todos os fatos foram verificados.
Verificado em 03/10/2026.