Tarom

History

TAROM's lineage stretches back to 1920 and the founding of CFRNA (the Franco-Romanian Company for Air Navigation), one of Europe's earliest airlines, though the carrier took its current name and form on 18 September 1954 after the Romanian state bought out the Soviet Union's share in the joint Romanian-Soviet carrier TARS. As Romania's flag carrier through the communist era and beyond, the airline built a European short- and medium-haul network alongside limited long-haul services to North America and Asia, though the latter were discontinued between 2001 and 2003 amid financial pressure. TAROM joined SkyTeam as a full member on 25 June 2010, having been announced as an associate member in 2008, becoming Romania's link into one of the three major global airline alliances. The airline has remained under near-total state ownership, with the Romanian Ministry of Transport holding roughly 98% of shares, and it operates as the oldest continuously operating airline in Romania. After years of financial losses stretching back to 2007, TAROM returned to profitability in 2024, reporting a gross profit of around 60 million euros as part of a broader restructuring and fleet renewal effort.

Current Operations

TAROM's fleet centers on Boeing 737-800 narrowbodies and ATR 72-600 turboprops for regional routes, with Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft on order to replace its ageing 737-700NG jets, though deliveries have faced delays. The airline serves roughly 50 destinations across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa alongside about eight domestic Romanian routes, operating from its sole hub at Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP) in Bucharest. As a SkyTeam member, TAROM offers codeshare and connecting itineraries via partner hubs including Amsterdam, Paris and Istanbul. Following its return to profitability in 2024, the carrier has been streamlining its fleet, including offering some older aircraft for sale, while continuing under full state ownership with no privatization announced. TAROM remains Romania's national flag carrier and its principal international gateway airline based in Bucharest.

Last verified 2026-08-22· Source: airline public disclosures, company press releases & aviation-industry reporting.

Serves These Profiled Airports28