Latvian national airline airBaltic has announced a strong start to 2024 and has also just received the latest member to its all-Airbus A220-300 fleet.
The carrier has said it carried 287,900 passengers in January 2024, representing a 16% increase compared to the same period in 2023. The figure is impressive given that northern winter seasons are generally tough for European airlines when traditionally travel demand tails off. In January 2024, airBaltic performed 3,170 flights, which is a 4% increase from the same month the previous year.
The latest traffic figures are an indicator as to how airBaltic is managing inventory and its route network to maximize passenger numbers in the off-peak period.
The carrier also announced that its top destinations from Riga in January were Stockholm (ARN), London (LGW) and Dubai (DXB). These destinations are particularly popular, according to the airline “among both leisure and business travelers due to the airline’s focus on providing passengers a wide variety of travel options and flexible timetables.”
The company flies from Riga (RIX) up to two daily flights to Stockholm, a daily service to London, and five weekly flights to Dubai. In addition to these destinations, airBaltic flights to Paris (CDG), Vienna (VIE), Copenhagen (CPH), and Helsinki (HEL) were also ranked among the most favored airBaltic routes from Riga in January. On all its scheduled services, the carrier provides passengers with two service classes – business class and economy.
“As we step into 2024, airBaltic has seen an increase in passenger numbers, affirming our position as the preferred airline for the Baltic States,” said Martin Gauss, President and CEO of airBaltic. “Our focus this year is on expanding our fleet and destination offerings, a step towards not only recovering to pre-pandemic levels but also surpassing them. With over 130 routes in operation, we’re connecting our home bases to the globe more extensively than ever, accommodating a diverse spectrum of travel needs and drawing significant interest from travelers,” he added.
The announcement regarding January’s traffic figures comes the same week as airBaltic received its 47th Airbus A220-300 into its fleet. On February 13, 2024, the airline welcomed the aircraft (registered YL-ABU) to its home base in Riga. The aircraft is part of the original 50 Airbus A220-300s that airBaltic ordered. In November 2023, the company announced a firm purchase agreement for 30 more Airbus A220-300 aircraft with purchase rights for an additional 20 aircraft of the same type.
Thus far, airBaltic has carried more than 14,478,000 passengers on its fleet of Airbus A220-300 aircraft. Additionally, the fleet has completed over 160,000 flights and flown 352,000 block hours on behalf of the airline.
Since May 2020, airBaltic has operated all flights with just this single type of aircraft, which minimizes operational complexities and allows airBaltic to “benefit from the additional efficiencies provided by the aircraft.”
In 2024, airBaltic will operate more than 130 routes from its home bases located at Riga (RIX), Tallinn (TLL), Vilnius (VNO), Tampere (TMP), and Gran Canaria (LPA). Current and planned destinations across the carrier’s route network include cities in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Caucasus region.