TAROM's first Boeing 737-8 MAX. Photo: Boeing TAROM has officially introduced its second Boeing 737 MAX 8 into service, marking the occasion with an inaugural flight from Bucharest to Chisinau. The aircraft, named “Ivan Patzaichin” after the legendary Romanian canoeist, was brought to Romania directly from Seattle by TAROM crews.
The aircraft is the latest step in TAROM’s Boeing 737 MAX fleet renewal. The airline took delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX in Seattle on September 12, when two TAROM flight crews flew the aircraft back to Romania. The first Boeing 737-8 was named “Mircea Lucescu” after the renowned Romanian football manager and was flown from Seattle to Bucharest with a stop in Keflavík, Iceland, before entering service.
The second Boeing aircraft operated its first scheduled flight with the airline carrying passengers between Romania and the Republic of Moldova. Among those on board were Ivona Patzaichin-Rusu, daughter of the late Olympic champion, and Georgiana Potzaichin, his wife, along with government officials and members of the press.
TAROM said the choice of Chisinau for the aircraft’s first flight was intended to highlight the close ties between Romania and the Republic of Moldova, including shared language, history, culture and family connections.
The flight also coincided with Moldova’s National Wine Day and formed part of events marking the centenary of the inauguration of Romania’s first national airline routes, including historical connections between Bucharest, Galați, Chisinau and Iași.
After arriving at Chisinau International Airport, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 received a traditional water cannon salute. The gesture carried particular significance because Patzaichin built his sporting career on the water, winning four Olympic gold medals and becoming one of Romania’s best-known athletes.
Patzaichin also had a personal connection with aviation. According to his daughter, he dreamed of becoming a pilot as a child while watching aircraft fly over the Danube Delta. He later traveled with TAROM to international competitions during his sporting career.
“Today, being on board the aircraft that bears his name is very emotional for my mother and me,” Ivona Patzaichin-Rusu said. “It is a beautiful meeting between the world of water, to which he was so attached, and the sky to which he looked as a child.”
TAROM currently operates two Boeing 737 MAX aircraft following the latest fleet addition. The airline said its fleet renewal program will continue in spring 2027, when two additional aircraft of the same model are expected to join the fleet.
The new aircraft is part of TAROM’s broader fleet renewal effort, with the Boeing 737 MAX 8 offering the airline a newer-generation aircraft for its European network.