The Bucharest - Belgrade route has recorded strong passenger growth over the past few years, although this has been driven entirely by Air Serbia. TAROM codeshares on Air Serbia’s existing eleven weekly services between the two capitals, as well as on flights from Belgrade to Stockholm, Ljubljana, Oslo, Podgorica, Tivat and Zagreb. In return, Air Serbia places its designator code and flight numbers on TAROM-operated services from Bucharest to Cluj, Iasi, Oradea and Chisinau, in addition to TAROM’s own Belgrade flights.
TAROM has been grappling with longstanding financial difficulties and remains in the midst of a state-backed restructuring programme. In 2024, the European Commission approved 95.3 million euros in restructuring aid for the carrier, which has accumulated substantial losses and negative equity over the years. The airline recorded a loss of 37 million euros in 2025, while carrying financial debt of approximately 176.9 million euros.
The discontinuation of the Belgrade service runs counter to TAROM CEO Bogdan Costas’ recently outlined strategy of developing Bucharest into a Balkan mini hub. In April, Mr Costaș said, “We want to position Bucharest as a regional hub connecting Balkan destinations such as Belgrade, Cluj or Sarajevo with major hubs like Amsterdam, Paris or Madrid. We are also considering cooperation with smaller regional airlines, such as the one we have with Air Serbia”.
So much for Bucharest becoming a Balkan mini hub for TAROM.
ReplyDeletePR nonsence of course. TAROM would need billions to rescue and its not worth it. Romanian aviation is generally doing ok, at least in terms of overall connectivty.
DeleteEven funnier because they barely fly to anywhere in Europe so I'm not sure who would connect with them. They could only be useful to connect to Romanian domestic flights.
DeleteThe only Balkan hubs are IST and ATH.
DeleteBEG is also in the Balkans and JU does run a small but efficient hub.
DeleteATH? negative. A3 cover of ExYu is neglectable
DeleteWell, BEG is not situated in the Balkans :)
DeleteLol
DeleteReal Balkan hubs are Istanbul, Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna and Zurich.
DeleteLondon is probably connected to more cities in the Balkans than the Balkans are themselves.
Delete€176.9 million in debt and another €95 million in state aid. Cancelling BEG is probably the least of TAROM’s problems.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteWith rising oil prices and falling living standards, all of these smaller carriers will start falling like dominos.
DeleteAviation footnote. Classic livery though!
ReplyDeleteSame with air Baltic- they are ending both Belgrade and Ljubljana at the end of Oct.
DeleteHow can they end BEG when they didn't plan to fly here in winter? This was a summer seasonal route, it wasn't planned as year-round.
DeleteAt no point did airBaltic schedule flights to Belgrade in winter, while the downgrade of its Ljubljana service was confirmed several weeks ago by the airline to EX-YU Aviation News.
DeleteYes it WAS a summer seasonal route- Air Baltic is cutting a lot next year due to its restructuring.
DeleteA self-proclaimed aviation guru is causing this debate because he decided BT was selling flights in winter when in reality they didn't. I guess he needed his daily dose of BEG negativity.
DeleteIt's just another lie peddled on another site written by a man facing numerous criminal charges.
DeleteKoja blamaza od "analiticara"!
Delete@ExYuAviation: Is it possible that Air Baltic is cancelling BEG and LJU since they reduce their fleet from 56 to 36 which is roughly 35%? Could you ask them for a comment?
DeleteOnce again, airBaltic has not cancelled Belgrade. As for turning Ljubljana into a seasonal summer service, you can review their statement on this matter in the article published several weeks ago.
DeletePity to loose a SkyTeam member
ReplyDeleteWhich other Sky Team members serve Belgrade?
DeleteKLM
DeleteJU should really aim becoming a a Sky Team alliance member. Other than the basket case Tarom they are non existent in the wider region after the demise of CSA and the suspension of Aeroflot's membership.
DeleteJU could also use DL cooperation in JFK.
What do you guys think?.
I don't know, I think oneworld would be a better fit.
DeleteAlaska and American Airlines would be more willing to work with JU in the US.
I don't think Delta would care much.
As a hardcore SkyTeam loyalist with 60+ flights a year since 2023, I have flown TAROM a grand total of 0 times. Their network is pathetic, their prices are high and their planes and product are from the 1990s. I even accepted to be rerouted CDG-OTP-BEG on one occasion when my AF plane went tech, but even this didn't materialise because TAROM's systems didn't manage to issue the ticket on time. My Romanian colleagues all despise the airline and prefer any other carrier when flying home.
DeleteGood for u
DeleteConsidering they codeshare with Air Serbia anyway this is probably logical. TAROM can still sell Bucharest-Belgrade without operating it themselves.
ReplyDeleteAnd earn peanuts like tourist agency …..
DeletePretty sure JU will go double daily to Bucharest next summer.
ReplyDeletePerhaps now they finally launch those secondary Romanian cities such as Cluj or Iasi, even Chisinau.
DeleteLol, welcome.
DeleteTarom's financial difficulties and their discontinuation of serving BEG is an opportunity for JU to expand their presence on the Romanian market and to launch flights to cities such as Cluj-Napoca and Iasi. By doing so JU will strengthen BEG as a hub in southeastern Europe for transfers.
DeleteJU has shown that it can be quick to respond to changes in the market such as when they started flying to Munich after LH made changes to its Munich operations.
Cue Cluj boy..
ReplyDeleteWhy are you triggered by Cluj flights? It was makes more sense to fly there than to RJK, BWK etc. which are much smaller airports with smaller demand.
DeleteIts not triggering. Its funny how much one person desires that route. If you think there is demand to Cluj over Rijeka i suggest you have not been to Cluj because i cannot visualise almost any point to point demand unlike a major (exyu) port and island with major tourism. So i suggest you rephrase that.
DeleteIt's not a zero sum game, why not have both CLJ and RJK, BWK, etc?
DeleteI also want CLJ flights. And many more
DeleteMost of you will not use this line real question is will Romanian use it?
DeleteBWK is a tiny airport where JU flies twice a week for 2-3 months.
DeleteCluj on the other can could generate enough demand for year-round flights.
CLJ has much more potential.
No it doesnt.
DeleteAir Serbia has clearly won this market. Eleven weekly flights compared to TAROM’s two says everything
ReplyDeleteWell TAROM was not in a 'battle'with them at all so not much of a war to win.
DeleteIt went from 6 to 2 to none. So it obviously did impact them.
DeleteIt went from 6 to 2 to none. So it obviously did impact them.
Delete@9.04 you should know by now that if a competitor fails, it has nothing to do with Air Serbia. But if a competitor wins, it's Air Serbia's failure.
DeleteVery few competators have 'won' in Belgrade by these strange obessive competition views.
DeleteOf course. It's only strange when JU has obviously conquered a particular market. But very relevant when it's the other way around. You being upset proves it.
DeleteYou totally missunderstand. Gosh, calm down dude
DeleteTarom is withdrawing from this market because of internal problems which were not caused by JU. Also JU and RO cooperated on this route so they were not fighting, they were not hostile one to the other.
DeleteThat said, this is a failure by JU to keep a partner in BEG. Marek said they will work on attracting foreign partners to feed their network. This is contrary to what he said will happen next. JU should have insisted RO stay in BEG and to fly in the morning and evening when JU doesn't have flights. They should have turned RO into what OU is for LH, a feeder.
Dude if you are going to blame JU at least try not to cantradict yourself in the same comment. You say they are ending flights to Belgrade due to internal problems and then say it's JU's fault. Ok, I get you hate the CEO since all your comments are along the same lines but this is too much even for you.
DeleteDon't you know that Jiri is responsible for TAROM's financial state. Like the expert above says, he should have tied down Bogdan Costas until he scheduled two daily flights to Belgrade and the two airlines have a flight every hour. With what planes, with what crew, with what money? That's not important. It is JU'S FAULT! And don't you ever think otherwise.
DeleteJust same old JU hater, with same pointless arguments, where JU is to blame for everything and anything. Please ignore him, that hits him hardest
DeleteSeems like JU bots can't understand the comment.
DeleteMarek said that more airlines will come to BEG because of cooperation with JU. So far none have launched flights because of JU. Even SCAT and China Southern have refused to cooperate with them.
When RO announced their intentions to terminate BEG that's when JU alliances should have reached out to them and offered them better cooperation, better terms etc but in return RO launches mornign and evening flights like JU wanted in the past but didn't.
RO is cutting where it can so JU should have proposed a deeper partnership where they would feed their BEG network like useless and loss making OU does to LH.
And I thought you were a serious person Nemjee. Shame.
DeleteFunny there are no arguments Anon 10.56. Do you have any?
DeleteDebating with soemone that a near bankrupt airline called TAROM, which can't feed its own flights let alone someone elses, ending its 2 weekly Belgrade flights is the fault of Air Serbia's CEO is bizarre and beyond a waste of time.
Delete+1000
DeleteJust ignore him, as suggested above
TAROM seems to be shrinking its way to profitability. Let’s see how well that strategy works.
ReplyDeleteIs profitability in the room with us?
DeleteThey are a lost cause.
DeleteWell their annual loss is smaller than OU this year
DeleteOU is special category. They have Bright and Shiny, Intergalactic Spaceship, with big windows and USB stuff. It's incomparable with anything else and we should all hail Bravo Hrvatska, repeatedly. So please leave alone OU, and Jasmin, magician who brought it to the top of the tops of european airlines, both operation- and profitability- wise
DeleteFor passengers this changes very little
ReplyDeleteAlmost nothing.
DeleteTAROM is a shadow of what it used to be. Such a shame.
ReplyDeleteAll airlines in the fromer communist/socialist world are except LOT and JU.
DeleteJU would have been in the same boat, or most likely gone by now, had the EY deal not been made in 2013.
DeleteIndeed
DeleteLOT, Air Serbia and Aeroflot are the ones ones who made it.
DeleteAeroflot is not worth our time.
DeleteReally? Although it’s the largest eastern company present?
DeleteYou really wanna compare with a country the size of Russia? There's no reality where Aeroflot wouldn't make it.
Delete09.14
DeleteJU NEVER belonged to.the "former communist/socialist World". Others from that World were operating russian aircraft, JAT operated US and Europe built fleets. Others were under strong communist political influence and control, JAT had independent management and policy. Others had 90 percent of flights operated to Russia and East Block, JAT had more than 90 % flights operated to the West. Others had no marketing and were more or less invisible on the global market, JAT was pretty much visible and had been actively participating on the wider market. And so on and so on. Reasons of failure of Jat Airways were war in ex-yu, losing ex-yu markets, sanctions and bad political influence. Reasons of ressurection of Air Serbia are again not comparable with any of the former east european carriers, bust, to be bust, or alive. You are totally wrong comparing them. But than it's the consequence of the brain washing policy which today is in effect and places entire ex Yugoslavia and its specifics behind the Iron Curtain, where it had never been, except for 1945-1948
Bravo PIR for explaining to those who have little knowledge. straight to the point
DeletePIR as usual assumed that a comment about communist/socialist world needed that over the top explation. The origional comment at 09:14 which rightly stated that in all the countires east of Vienna run by single-parties only LOT and JU survive. PIR'a rant is just so over the top on the comment as to be silly. All the best.
DeleteYears and years ago they were pretty good for connecting to the Middle East. But not for many years now.
ReplyDeleteLargely due to former Romanaian business interests and a relatively large community from the likes of Syria in Bucharest. But the economic and demographi. geography of the country is very different now.
DeleteDidn't know that. Interesting
DeleteI did Google the "Arabs in Romania" and it seems like there really has been a relatively small wave of Arab immigration between 1831 and 1833 (Ottoman times). There is also a fairly large Turkish population in Dobruja (the Black Sea coast), who have lived there for generations. I wonder if they travel to Turkey at all
DeleteThey have a business class on the ATRs. So no more premium travel between Belgrade and Bucharest 😀
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty unique
DeleteRomania has a huge home market and Bucharest is well positioned geographically. TAROM has enormous potential but somehow never seems able to capitalise on it.
ReplyDeleteIts extremely well connected by LCCs nowadays across Europe. TAROM will never be able to compete with wizz and ryanair. Also its geographical location isnt as conducise to transfers as Belgrade (or in thr old days Budapest).
DeleteNot to mention that Bucharest is a horrible airport.
DeleteIt really is
DeleteLet us be honest, the only original airlines left are LOT, TAROM and AEROFLOT, JU is not JAT and as a digression same as Swiss is not Swissair.
DeleteJU is Jat considering it inheritted its debt, unrealized aircraft orders and staff.
DeleteWhat's the difference in this regard between Aeroflot and Air Serbia? Established as national carrier of then bigger nations and continued working in new reality. One changed brand name, the other didn't, that's it.
DeleteYou are really comparing Russia and its size and population with Serbia?
DeleteAeroflot essentially is a russian and asian carrier nowadays. Until their regieme returns them to europe they are not worth consideration.
DeleteBravo VINCI.
ReplyDeleteComment beyond stupid
DeleteHe didn't actually read the article and has no clue about TAROM or what state the airline is in. He read the title and was simply overjoyed.
DeleteThis is exactly why frequency is king on short regional routes. Nobody wants to organise their whole trip around a flight operating twice a week.
ReplyDeleteThat is why OS does so well in BEG since JU has very few non-regional destinations with more than 10 weekly flights.
DeleteInstead getting new airlines BEG loosing existing. Not such a great strategy
ReplyDeleteYes, this year it added Air Baltic and Royal Jordanian. Terrible isn't it?
DeleteAnother one that didn't read the article. Read the headline, got excited and ran to the comments.
DeleteBEG added 12 new routes this year. It has been a disastrous year.
DeleteIt’s not the othet one, it’s the same one with nonsense arguments
DeleteWe are talking here about airlines not routes. Airlines bring concurrency not routes
DeleteApart from that being absolute nonsense and contradictory, they have bought two new airlines this year. Also Concurrency does not mean what you think it means.
DeleteMeanwhile Air Serbia is still selling TAROM’s codeshares flights on their website.
ReplyDeleteI highly doubt anyone is purchasing TAROM flights on Air Serbia's website.
DeleteThey should remove from sale non existant flights.
Delete+1000
DeleteWould be interesting to know the loads on TAROM compared to Air Serbia. I suspect JU has been taking most of the point-to-point passengers because of the schedule.
ReplyDeleteThe CEO gave that interview only a few months ago and now they are doing exactly the opposite.
ReplyDeleteThis actually strengthens the JU-TAROM partnership. Why duplicate capacity when one airline can operate the route efficiently and both can sell it?
ReplyDeleteNot only that, Air Serbia should introduce flights to secondary Romanian cities and add TAROM code as well.
DeleteCluj boy!
DeleteKluzimir
DeleteHahah, good one
DeleteExpected
ReplyDeleteAlways sad to see an airline leave. Even if it is a basket case like TAROM.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the largest airline in Romania now? Wizz Air? Ryanair?
ReplyDeleteYes, both of them basically dominate the market, one of the reasons why TAROM is struggling
DeleteThey are struggling first and foremost due to years of poor management and political interference.
DeleteWould be nice if AnimaWings launched flights instead.
ReplyDeleteCould Animawings or HiSky launch a OTP-BEG route?
ReplyDeleteWe will see more and more of OTP-ExYU routes by low cost airlines
ReplyDeleteWizz has a a base in OTP, just saying...
Deleteexactly
Delete