Romania’s TAROM Sells Heathrow Slots to Qatar Airways

TAROM has finalized the sale of its daily slots at London Heathrow to Qatar Airways, marking the Romanian carrier’s exit from the UK market. The transaction, announced by Airport Coordination Limited (ACL) on August 14, will take effect on October 27, 2024.

The sale allows Qatar Airways to expand its service frequency between Doha Hamad International and Heathrow from up to eight flights daily to nine. The additional flights will be operated using Boeing 777-300ERs, enhancing Qatar Airways’ connectivity and capacity on this route.

TAROM has not disclosed the financial terms of the deal and has not responded to inquiries from ch-aviation. Previously, in 2023, the airline turned down a GBP22 million (USD25.8 million) offer from Virgin Atlantic, seeking a more favorable agreement.

The decision to exit Heathrow is part of TAROM’s EU-approved restructuring plan, which is supported by RON474.1 million lei (USD103.1 million) in state aid. Currently, TAROM operates its Heathrow services with Airbus A318-100s but does not have any other flights to the UK.

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