Romania’s TAROM Sells Fuel Unit, Wet-Leases A320 for Summer

TAROM has sold its 50% stake in Romanian Fuelling Services S.R.L. to Air bp as part of its ongoing restructuring strategy to divest non-core assets. The agreement, signed on March 27, 2025, is pending regulatory approval. Once approved, Air bp will become the sole owner of the aviation fuel provider. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

In a separate development, Romania’s Ministry of Transport increased TAROM’s share capital by RON29.28 million (USD6.7 million) at the end of 2024. This move, approved by shareholders in April and revealed in June, raised the government’s stake from 97.8% to 98.0%. Minority shareholders saw a proportional reduction in their holdings, including Compania Nationala Aeroporturi Bucuresti, ROMATSA, and Longshield Investment Group.

State-owned postal operator Poșta Română has also expressed interest in acquiring TAROM, though no formal offer has been announced.

For the 2025 summer season, TAROM is wet-leasing an Airbus A320-200 from Malta MedAir. Registered as 9H-MMO, the aircraft features 180 all-economy seats and is powered by V2500 engines. Originally delivered to TACA International in 2008, the jet joined Malta MedAir in 2022 and is owned by Alterna Capital Partners.

The aircraft has been flying key European routes such as Bucharest to Amsterdam and Frankfurt. Malta MedAir confirmed it will operate within TAROM’s network through the end of the 2025 summer season.

TAROM’s current fleet includes ATR72s and Boeing 737s. Under restructuring restrictions, the airline cannot expand its fleet or route network until the end of 2026.

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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com