Romanian state-owned airline Tarom, which has been facing financial difficulties for many years, will reportedly sell four Airbus A318-111 aircraft and close ticket offices in several cities as part of its restructuring process, according to Profit.

The office closures and sale of the aircraft are part of Tarom's ongoing attempt at regaining profitability. 

Tarom offices in Oradea, Iași, Constanța, Bucharest, Brașov, Botoșani, Baia Mare, Timișoara, Târgu Mureș, Suceava, Sibiu, and Satu Mare will be closed.

The Airbus aircraft, purchased by Tarom between 2006 and 2007, will be sold to 3Top Aviation Services Limited, a UK-based company specialising in purchasing planes in the latter part of their operational life.

The European Commission (EC) approved on April 29 this year the restructuring plan for Tarom, in a total amount of €95mn, updated by Romania in line with the Commission recommendations. 

Under the plan, Tarom will have state aid received in 2020 written off and will get funds to renew its fleet, but it will have to optimise the routes operated and the commercial policies while further reducing personnel.

In August, the company sold its slots at Heathrow Airport London to Qatar Airways and claims it will have new routes only in 2026, due to the huge losses sustained over the past seven years.

Back in the summer, the airline’s management stated in its budget review that the projected profit for this year is expected to partially cover losses from previous years. As a result, overdue payments are anticipated to decrease from RON340mn in 2023 to an estimated RON115mn by the end of 2024.