Pfizer targets air fees to collect €1.9B vaccine debt

Pfizer is moving to enforce a Belgian court ruling against Poland and Romania by targeting air traffic control fees. According to a September 13, 2026 report by the Wall Street Journal, intergovernmental air traffic agency Eurocontrol has frozen transfers of airline route charges owed to air navigation authorities in both countries.

The enforcement follows an April decision by a Brussels court rejecting arguments from both nations to abandon pandemic-era commitments under a 2021 European Union contract. The court ordered them to pay a combined €1.9 billion, or about $2.2 billion, for Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine doses. Poland owes €1.3 billion, while Romania owes €600 million.

Eurocontrol has withheld route fees from Poland and placed a precautionary seizure on funds tied to Romania. Aviation authorities in both nations have warned that withholding the funds could threaten air safety and operations, with Poland's agency noting that airline fees make up more than 80% of its revenue. Both governments are challenging the enforcement and appealing the rulings, though Romania's health minister stated the judgment remains enforceable during the appeal process.

The legal recovery effort comes as Pfizer expands its non-pandemic revenue base. Second-quarter Eliquis sales rose 21% to $2.43 billion, and Padcev climbed 23% to $667 million. Pfizer also raised the lower end of its 2026 revenue guidance to a range between $60.5 billion and $62.5 billion.