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Everyone wants to save Romania's national airline TAROM, but at this moment, with the number of staff we have, things are not standing well business-wise, and I have not met a body with more employees related to one another, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Sorin Grindeanu told a news conference on Wednesday.
He said that the Romanian government has been conducting discussions with the European Commission on state aid to TAROM, Agerpress.
"About the company itself, we have been discussing with the European Commission state aid that we have to get, and I hope that we will get it within weeks (...) We have delivered all the things that were asked of us so that we get this state aid. I'm telling you as clearly as possible that I want to save this company. Everyone wants it. It's a brand we can't throw away, but it has to sit on valid economic criteria. At this moment, with the number of staff we have at TAROM, things are not economically viable," said Grindeanu.
He added that it is possible that TAROM will have a new general manager in the next two to three weeks.
"Probably, in the next two to three weeks, we will have a general manager who comes from this area, let's say corporate, who does not necessarily have a connection with the aviation area, but who has a very strong connection with the way a multinational company is run," said Grindeanu.
On Tuesday, the airline's employees' union publicly requested all union members, employees and former employees, as well as all Romanian citizens who still believe in the TAROM brand to show support for the revival of this airline. The union says it will urge for public donations to save this company and a public subscription of shares in order to help it.
"The form of the donations, the accounts and the Issue Prospectus will be published according to the legislation in force. Give 1 RON! Save TAROM!" reads a press release of TAROM trade unionists signed by Chairman of the TAROM United Trade Union (SUT) Narcis Pascu.
In reply, TAROM execs sent a firm message of dissociation from the public donation initiative.
TAROM's draft budget of revenues and expenses for the year 2023 provides for a business loss to the amount of RON 62.416 million, down 28.79%, or RON 154.349 million, from the loss approved in the related budget of revenues and expenses for 2022, and down 20.53%, or RON 241.641 million from the preliminary/actual loss on December 31, 2022.
The number of staff provided for the end of 2023 is 1,314 employees, down four.
