August 21 (SeeNews) - The CEO of Romanian flag carrier Tarom has resigned on Monday after only five months on the job following criticism from prime minister Mihai Tudose for the company's huge loss in the first half of the year, local media reported.
Davidoiu has decided to resign after Tudose announced on Sunday that he will order auditors to review the company's activity, local TV station Digi 24 quoted unnamed sources as saying.
Also on Sunday, Davidoiu told Digi 24 by phone that he was not planning to resign.
"Why are they asking me to resign? Because I brought in two new planes or because I tried to make the company more efficient? Or is it because I caused nervousness among some interested groups? I will leave when I will feel like it, I am fed up," Davidoiu said.
Tarom has had three CEOs in less than two years. In March last year, Tarom's CEO Christian Heinzmann was fired by the transport ministry due to unjustified losses posted by the company and too many sick leave days taken by its staff.
Eugen Davidoiu stepped in as a CEO this February, taking over from Dan Plaveti, the interim CEO that filled up for Heinzmann.
On Wednesday, Tarom said its net loss widened to 104 million lei ($27 million/23 million euro) in the first half of 2017 from 28.6 million lei in the like period of last year, exceeding by far the transport ministry's estimates.
Earlier this year, the transport ministry said it expected that Tarom would close 2017 with a 41.2 million lei loss, 12% narrower compared to 2016.
Tarom's turnover fell 14% on the year to 444.2 million lei in the six months through June. Expenses decreased to 610 million lei at end-June from 612 million lei a year earlier.
In 2016, the company posted a 47 million lei loss, marking its ninth straight non-profitable year.
At the beginning of August, Tarom announced that it has launched a tender to lease three long-haul aircraft manufactured not before 2012.
In May, Tarom signed a contract for a ten-year lease of two series 800 NG new Boeing aircraft of 189 seats each after it had to ground two old Airbus A310 in September 2016. The two grounded aircraft represented one fifth of Tarom fleet's capacity, leaving the company unable to service all of its scheduled flights.
(1 euro =4.5881 lei)