TAROM review not affecting flight operations

TAROM said Romania’s government review of the airline is about long-term strategy, not day-to-day flying, and current operations are continuing as normal. (ch-aviation.com) The carrier told ch-aviation that the government wants to examine the “strategic direction” of the state-owned airline without interfering in current operational activity. The statement came on April 23, 2026, after reports that officials were weighing privatization or an “orderly” market exit. (ch-aviation.com) Romanian media reported this month that the government must decide by April 30, 2026 whether to seek a private strategic partner for as much as 49% of TAROM or prepare a controlled shutdown and asset sale. Economedia said the deadline appears in a government document tied to the airline’s restructuring path. (economedia.ro) That review sits inside a wider push by Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan’s government to tighten control over state-owned companies, with possible mergers, closures and some stock-market listings under discussion. Romania Insider reported the state-enterprise overhaul on April 17, 2026. (romania-insider.com) TAROM’s room to maneuver is shaped by European Union state-aid rules. The European Commission approved up to €95.3 million in Romanian restructuring aid for the airline in a decision dated April 29, 2024 and published in the Official Journal in April 2025. (eur-lex.europa.eu) That aid package was meant to restore TAROM’s long-term viability while limiting distortions to competition, according to the Commission decision. Recent Romanian reports said the airline missed deadlines in its restructuring plan, raising pressure for a new government decision this month. (eur-lex.europa.eu) (economedia.ro) For passengers, TAROM’s message was narrower than the political debate around it: flights are still operating, and any government decision under review would shape the airline’s future structure rather than this week’s schedule. (ch-aviation.com)