TAROM has taken delivery of its first Boeing 737-8 in Bucharest, introducing the 737 MAX family to the Romanian flag carrier’s fleet as part of a wider modernisation programme. Boeing, TAROM and CDB Aviation marked the handover on 12 September, with the aircraft becoming the first Boeing 737 MAX in Romania and the first of two leased from CDB Aviation.
The aircraft, named Mircea Lucescu, joins an airline that currently operates four Boeing 737 Next-Generation jets and is rebuilding its narrowbody fleet around greater commonality and efficiency. TAROM plans to use the growing 737 MAX fleet on routes linking Bucharest with major European capitals, while Boeing highlights lower fuel burn and around 20% lower carbon emissions than the aircraft the 737-8 replaces. The carrier’s wider fleet renewal forms part of a restructuring plan backed by Romanian state aid approved in 2024, with implementation running through the end of 2026. TAROM has also said the second 737 MAX will carry the name Ivan Patzaichin, and the broader order covers four 737 MAX aircraft in total.