Mass Pilot Sickness Leads to Flight Cancellations at Tarom Airlines

Passengers at Henri Coandă International Airport in Bucharest were left frustrated and anxious on Monday as multiple flights operated by Romanian Tarom Airlines were cancelled. This disruption was a result of a significant number of pilots reporting sick, prompting concerns among travelers.

While the airline union has not officially declared a labor dispute, there are speculations within the organization that a strike may be imminent. The situation led to the grounding of a flight intended to transport the foreign affairs and defense ministers to the NATO summit in Washington.

“We are from Spain. We have been waiting since 5 am to take off. Nobody informed us of anything,” expressed a stranded passenger. Another passenger expressed their desire for reimbursement, stating, “I will write an e-mail to Tarom to ask for my money back. I’ve never experienced something like this before.”

Romanian Minister of Transport Sorin Grindeanu issued an ultimatum to the state-owned company’s management to address the ongoing issues promptly. The United Tarom Union has yet to outline specific demands, although its members have been advocating for salary increases over the past year.