TAROM

TAROM: the diaspora flag carrier, and the excuse that decides your claim

TAROM is one of Europe’s oldest airlines — flying under its current name since 1954 — and the state-owned flag carrier of Romania, connecting Bucharest to Western Europe, Italy, Spain and the Eastern Mediterranean. It’s a short and medium-haul SkyTeam member with no long-haul routes today, which means its compensation lives entirely in the €250 and €400 bands. The highest-value claims come from the routes the Romanian diaspora fills every week — Bucharest to Madrid, London, Paris and Rome.

Because every TAROM flight either departs or arrives at an EU airport on an EU carrier, the question is rarely whether you’re covered — it’s whether TAROM’s stated reason lets it off the hook. That’s where most claims are won or lost, so start there:

What your TAROM claim is worth

EU 261 sets the amount by the great-circle distance of your route. For TAROM, two bands cover everything:

There’s no €600 here: TAROM flies nothing over 3,500 km to a non-EU destination. The trap is the 1,500 km line — some routes that feel long sit just under it. Bucharest to Tel Aviv and to Cairo are both €250, not €400. Pick a route:

Covered both ways — the diaspora return flight counts too

TAROM is an EU carrier, so EU 261 protects it in both directions: the flight out of Bucharest and the flight back into it. That matters for the diaspora pattern — flying home to Romania for the holidays, the inbound Madrid → Bucharest or London → Bucharest leg is covered exactly like the outbound. And on a single booking, a missed connection is judged to your final destination.

Real example. Bucharest → Madrid is cancelled the night before (a returning worker’s flight), rebooked two days later, no extraordinary cause. Over 1,500 km, short notice → €400 per passenger, plus a hotel and meals while waiting. Check a cancelled flight →

Real example. Bucharest → Rome lands 3.5 hours late after a technical fault. Under 1,500 km → €250 per passenger — a useful reminder that the shorter Western-Europe routes pay the lower band. Check a delayed flight →

How to claim from TAROM yourself

1. Gather your evidence — booking reference, boarding passes, flight number and date, TAROM’s stated reason, and any receipts for meals or a hotel.
2. Confirm it qualifies — you arrived 3+ hours late (or it was cancelled with under 14 days’ notice, or you were denied boarding) and the cause wasn’t a genuine extraordinary circumstance.
3. Work out the amount — €250 under 1,500 km, €400 above it. No TAROM route reaches €600.
4. Submit TAROM’s complaint form. File at TAROM’s complaints and suggestions form, choosing the delay or compensation category and stating clearly that you’re claiming under EU 261/2004, with the flight details and the arrival delay.
5. Escalate if refused. TAROM often rejects citing extraordinary circumstances, or stops replying. Escalate to Romania’s civil aviation authority (AACR) for a Bucharest departure — or hand the claim to a specialist.

Real TAROM scenarios

• Diaspora cancellation. Bucharest → Madrid cancelled the night before, two days late → €400 each, plus hotel and meals.
• The “feels long” trap. Bucharest → Tel Aviv delayed 4 hours → €250, because it’s just under 1,500 km.
• Technical delay home. London → Bucharest 3 hours late after a fault → €400 per passenger, inbound but on an EU carrier.
• Weather, challenged. Bucharest → Rome blamed on “weather” that wasn’t flight-stopping → potentially €250 if the real cause was operational.

See real won cases and verdicts →.

TAROM at a glance

Founded in 1954 and around 97% owned by the Romanian state, TAROM is a SkyTeam flag carrier operating under an EU-approved restructuring plan, with a fleet of Boeing 737s and ATR turboprops modernising toward the 737 MAX 8 from 2026. Its leadership has been in transition through early 2026, but none of that changes your rights: short and medium-haul, EU carrier, €250 or €400, both directions.

Why hand your TAROM claim to Refundio

TAROM is known for rejecting claims on “extraordinary circumstances” and then going quiet — which is exactly the kind of stand-off where having a specialist matters. Refundio works out the correct band, sees through a weak weather excuse, buys your claim and pays you upfront, then takes TAROM on itself and to court if needed. No win, no fee.

Check your TAROM claim in 2 minutes →

Frequently asked questions

How much compensation does TAROM pay?

€250 or €400 per person. TAROM is short and medium-haul with no long-haul routes, so it never reaches €600. Western-Europe diaspora routes (Madrid, London, Paris) are €400; shorter ones (Rome, Munich, Tel Aviv) are €250.

Bucharest to Tel Aviv was delayed — is that €400, since it’s the Middle East?

No — €250. It’s about 1,440 km, just under the 1,500 km line. Bucharest to Cairo (~1,420 km) is the same. Only Bucharest to Amman (~1,650 km) reaches €400.

Does TAROM fly to Dubai? Would that be €600?

TAROM has no scheduled direct Dubai flight, so no TAROM €600 route exists. A Bucharest–Dubai booking is a connection or codeshare; your claim would be against whoever operated the delayed leg. Every TAROM direct route is under 3,500 km.

TAROM blamed bad weather. Do I still get paid?

Maybe. Genuine severe weather removes the compensation but not the duty to reroute or refund you and cover care. Airlines over-use the excuse — a technical fault or a knock-on from an earlier controllable problem is still owed. Each case is judged on its facts.

How do I claim compensation from TAROM?

Use TAROM’s online complaints form, choose the delay or compensation category, and state you’re claiming under EU 261/2004 with your flight details and the arrival delay. If it refuses or goes quiet, escalate to Romania’s aviation authority — or hand it to Refundio.

My TAROM flight arrives into Bucharest from abroad. Is that covered?

Yes — TAROM is an EU carrier, so EU 261 covers it both ways. A Tel Aviv → Bucharest or Amman → Bucharest flight delayed 3+ hours is covered exactly like the outbound.