Romania's ROMATSA faces court suspension and Pfizer‑ordered asset seizure

A Bucharest court has ordered a 30‑day suspension of ROMATSA's air‑navigation certification following a discrimination lawsuit filed by twelve air‑traffic controllers. ROMATSA announced it will appeal and the suspension has been placed on the agenda of the Supreme Council of National Defence, which warned that a halt to services could create a systemic vulnerability for national security and NATO operations.

Separately, the pharmaceutical company Pfizer has initiated a forced‑execution procedure that has frozen ROMATSA’s accounts, seizing over 3.4 billion lei and about €18.5 million. The seizure aims to recover unpaid sums from Romania’s COVID‑19 vaccine contract, estimated at roughly €600 million. ROMATSA receives about €300 million annually from Eurocontrol, and the blockage threatens its cash flow and ability to maintain air‑traffic services.

Both developments put the Romanian air‑space management system under severe financial and operational pressure, raising concerns about the continuity of civil‑military coordination in the region and the country's role in NATO’s Eastern flank.