TAROM's first Boeing 737 MAX has landed in Bucharest, the first of four due by 2027

TAROM has taken delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX. Boeing, the Romanian flag carrier and lessor CDB Aviation marked the arrival of the 737-8 in Bucharest on September 12, 2026, according to Boeing's announcement. It is the first 737 MAX in Romania. The jet carries the name Mircea Lucescu.

Boeing's release calls it the first of two 737-8s leased from CDB Aviation. TAROM's own release on its newsroom goes further. The airline says it will take four 737-8s in all, through operating and finance leases, two of them from CDB Aviation, with deliveries in stages through 2027. TAROM said the second jet would arrive at the end of September.

It did. On October 3, TAROM says, its second 737 MAX, named Ivan Patzaichin, flew its first scheduled service from Bucharest to Chișinău. Two more are due in spring 2027. TAROM's own crews flew both jets home from Seattle, the airline says.

For a carrier with 10 to 14 aircraft, depending on who is counting, four new jets is a big share of the fleet. That is why this matters to anyone who flies in or out of Bucharest on TAROM over the next two years.

What the MAX replaces

TAROM's single-aisle Boeing fleet is small: four 737 Next-Generation jets, per Boeing's release. Boeing says the 737-8 uses about 20 percent less fuel and produces about 20 percent less carbon than the planes it replaces. Neither Boeing nor TAROM has named which jets will retire, or when.

Boeing puts TAROM's total fleet at 10 aircraft. TAROM's October 3 release says 14, as does the Lounge Frog airline page for TAROM. The two figures may reflect different counting dates; we have not been able to reconcile them.

TAROM CEO Cristian Anghel called the arrival "a pivotal moment in the company's transformation process," and tied it to a restructuring plan that depends on a younger, cheaper-to-run fleet. The airline has been a SkyTeam member since June 2010 and serves more than 50 destinations, on its own planes or through codeshare partners, per Boeing's release.

Routes from Bucharest

Boeing says TAROM will fly its growing MAX fleet on routes between Bucharest and major European capitals. TAROM's release says the same, and names none of them.

The only confirmed MAX route so far is Bucharest to Chișinău, flown by the second jet on October 3. TAROM tied that flight to the centenary of Romania's first national air routes, which also ran through Chișinău. The airline has not published a 737 MAX schedule. If you want the new jet, check the aircraft type at booking and expect it to change.

The cabin

Neither release gives a seat count or a business and economy split. TAROM describes the Boeing Sky Interior: larger overhead bins that pivot shut, LED lighting that can shift from a sunrise tone to a sunset one, new sidewalls, and windows TAROM says are about 20 percent larger than rival jets'. There are no lie-flat seats; this is a short-haul plane for flights of a few hours. TAROM has not said whether its MAX has a separate business cabin or a curtain-divided one. We will add seat details when the airline publishes them.

Where to wait at Bucharest

TAROM's hub is Bucharest Henri Coandă, also known as Otopeni. The Lounge Frog directory lists two airport-run lounges there that serve TAROM business-class passengers and SkyTeam Elite Plus members.

In the Schengen area, the Dacia Business Lounge sits on the upper floor near gates 7 and 8. It is open around the clock, has a self-serve bar and no showers, and rates 2.7 out of 5 across 14 metrics on Lounge Frog, with power outlets, restrooms, service and workspace the weak spots. The airport sells entry to other passengers where space allows. It does not take Priority Pass.

For non-Schengen flights, the Satelit Business Lounge is on the mezzanine above gate 9, after passport control. It was once branded the Mastercard Business Lounge. It rates 2.9, with apron views its best feature. Access is for business-class passengers and elite members of airlines that contract with the lounge, plus holders of certain Romanian bank cards.

TAROM's frequent-flyer earning runs through Flying Blue, per the directory. SkyTeam Elite Plus status from any member airline should open both lounges when flying TAROM; confirm with the lounge desk, since the directory notes contract arrangements change. Neither lounge has showers, so a connecting long-haul traveler should plan to freshen up elsewhere.

What to watch

Two more 737-8s are due in spring 2027, per TAROM. The airline has yet to say which European capitals get the MAX first, how the cabin is laid out, or when the last 737 Next-Generation jets leave. For a SkyTeam comparison, see how KLM introduced its first Airbus A350 with a named first route and a published cabin plan. TAROM has given travelers the plane and the name, and not yet the rest.