AnimaWings Analysis: How Much Time and Money You Save by Choosing Flights to Major City Airports
07/04/2026 by Animawings / General
Choosing the destination airport can make a significant difference in both the travel experience and the overall cost of a flight. An analysis conducted by AnimaWings, a 100% Romanian airline, across major European destinations shows that landing at primary airports significantly reduces transfer time to the city center or main railway station and, in most cases, also lowers costs by up to 30–40%. In some cases, the time difference can reach up to 80 minutes compared to secondary airports frequently used by low-cost airlines.
For popular destinations such as Milan, London, Paris, or Munich, main airports provide fast train or metro connections to central areas, while secondary airports often require multiple transfers, resulting in considerably longer travel times and higher transportation costs.
“The destination airport plays an essential role in the overall travel experience. Transfer time differences can be significant, as can the costs for reaching the city center or main railway station quickly. In many cases, the transfer to these key points takes longer than the flight itself, requiring several changes of transport. At the same time, secondary airports offer limited connection options, infrequent bus services, longer distances to rail links, and more. Our analysis also shows that there are often situations where transportation from a secondary airport to the city nearly doubles the total travel cost. Therefore, passengers should pay close attention when choosing an airline and check not only the services included in the base fare, but also these additional transfer costs. At AnimaWings, through our product concept, we pay special attention to the entire travel experience, from schedules aligned with major airport transfer services to facilitating passenger access to the most important destinations within the city, at optimized costs,” said Diana Dima, Chief Commercial Officer of AnimaWings.
Milan, Malpensa: Direct train access to the city center
According to the AnimaWings analysis, passengers landing at Malpensa Airport can reach the area near Milan’s Duomo in approximately 40 minutes by direct train, while the transfer from Bergamo Airport can take more than 80 minutes, involving both bus and metro connections.
London: Landing at Gatwick reduces transfer time to the city center by up to one hour
In London’s case, Heathrow and Gatwick airports offer fast and efficient connections to the city center. Travel to the Big Ben area takes around 50 minutes using train and metro. By contrast, the transfer from Luton Airport exceeds 80 minutes and involves both bus and metro. The connection to Victoria Station, London’s main railway hub, is even faster: the direct train from Gatwick takes approximately 30 minutes, from Heathrow about 50 minutes, while the transfer from Luton requires more than 90 minutes.
Paris: Charles de Gaulle cuts transfer time to the city center by up to three times compared to Beauvais
For flights to Paris, Charles de Gaulle Airport is among the best-connected airports in Europe. The transfer to Notre-Dame Cathedral in the city center can be made by direct train in approximately 40 minutes. By contrast, the transfer from Beauvais Airport involves a combination of bus and train, with total travel time reaching around 120 minutes. The situation is similar for Gare du Nord, where the direct train from Charles de Gaulle takes about 30 minutes, compared to more than 110 minutes from Beauvais.
Munich: Up to one hour saved when transferring from the main airport to the city center
For Munich, the connection from Munich Airport (MUC) to Marienplatz takes approximately 40 minutes via direct S-Bahn, compared to up to 100 minutes from Memmingen Airport, where passengers must first take a bus and then the metro. Travelers heading to the city’s main railway station need more than one and a half hours when transferring from Memmingen, compared to around 40 minutes via direct S-Bahn from Munich Airport.
Currently, AnimaWings operates regular flights to major European airports with consistent frequencies. In addition to established destinations such as Paris (CDG), Stockholm (Arlanda), and Istanbul (IST), over the next two months the Romanian airline will launch new direct flights from Bucharest to major European metropolitan destinations including London Gatwick (from March 22), Geneva (from March 28), Munich (from April 2), and Milan Malpensa (from May 11), as well as from Timișoara and Cluj to Athens (from April 5).
