Romanian airline Tarom acquires two new Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft

Romanian state-owned airline Tarom has signed the contract to acquire two new Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft, with a configuration of 189 seats, according to the Transport Ministry, Tarom’s majority shareholder. “The aircraft have been acquired in operational leasing for a period of ten years,” according to the Transport Ministry’s press release. Tarom will get the new airplanes this month. In total, the state-owned airline should acquire 30 aircraft, according to the government program. The Tarom fleet had to be renewed after two Airbus A310 aircraft had been removed from the fleet last year, forcing the company to give up several external routes. For example, Tarom has given up its Iasi-Munich international flight starting this month and local low-cost airline Blue Air will take over this route starting June. “The two Airbus aircraft represented one fifth of the company's capacity to transport, which will be taken over by the new aircraft,” according to the Transport Ministry’s press release. The company's fleet has 21 aircraft, of which only 19 operate at the same time. Tarom lost the second position among local airlines last year, being surpassed by Blue Air. editor@romania-insider.com