Romanian flag carrier TAROM has announced that it will permanently cease to operate flights between its base at Bucharest Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP) and Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport (BEG). The route was set to be suspended over the winter but will now be permanently dropped by TAROM, after 16 years of flights. TAROM’s codesharing partner on the route, Air Serbia, will continue to fly between OTP and BEG.
Why Has TAROM Discontinued the Route?
The announcement that TAROM’s route between OTP and BEG will be permanently discontinued concludes a gradual reduction in the airline’s use of the route.
TAROM flights between OTP and BEG were suspended between Apr. 9, and July. 2, this year, with a further hiatus planned over this winter, before a resumption in the spring of 2027.
TAROM had also reduced their number of flights on the route from five flights per week in the early 2010s, to two per week this autumn.
This cancellation does however contradict TAROM’s plan to build a regional hub around its Bucharest base.
In March, the then CEO of TAROM, Bogdan Costas, said that the airline
“wants to position Bucharest as a regional hub connecting Balkan destinations such as Belgrade, Cluj-Napoca, and Sarajevo with major hubs like Amsterdam, Paris or Madrid.”
Air Serbia’s continuing use of the OTP to BEG route will however ensure Bucharest remains connected with the airline’s range of Western European destinations, which includes the three major hubs identified by Costas.
TAROM’s Financial Troubles
TAROM’s management may hope that discontinuing the route between OTP and BEG will improve the airline’s financial sustainability.
In 2024, the European Commission agreed to contribute €95.3 million to TAROM’s restructuring, on the condition that it would become financially viable by the end of 2026.
2024 was the only year since 2008 in which TAROM made a net profit, with the airline making an estimated loss of €37 million in 2025, adding taking its total debt to an estimated €176.9 million.
In July, TAROM’s new CEO Christian Anghel applied to the European Commission to an extension to the end of 2026 deadline.
The airline will now have to submit an updated restructuring programme to the commission later this month, or risk losing its right to claim state funding.
Can TAROM become financially sustainable? Does the Balkan region need better air connectivity? Let us know what you think in the comments.
