The Latvian Government-funded airline airBaltic scored a record year in 2019 carrying over 5 million passengers, a rise of 22% over 2018. It's the highest number in the airline's history.
“We are reaching new heights and offering better connections to people travelling to and from the Baltics." Said Martin Gauss, Chief Executive Officer of airBaltic. "In 2019, we continued our sustainable growth path and showed strong results that will help us to pave our future path, strengthening our role as the largest carrier in the region.”
“Last year we launched nine new routes, and, by adding more Airbus A220-300 to our fleet, increased the comfort and reliability of our flights. Already now majority of our passengers fly on the Airbus A220-300 aircraft,” Martin Gauss.
In 2019, airBaltic operated a total of 62 748 flights or 12% more than in 2018. The airline’s load factor, which represents the number of passengers as a proportion of the number of available seats, was at a level of 76% in 2019.
| 2019 | 2018 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of passengers | 5 049 317 | 4 135 711 | 22% |
| Number of flights | 62748 | 56261 | 12% |
| Load factor | 76% | 75% | +1%-point |
| 15-minute flight punctuality indicator | 86% | 88% | -2%-points |
| December, 2019 | December, 2018 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of passengers | 357723 | 292765 | 20% |
| Number of flights | 4786 | 4470 | 7% |
| Load factor | 70% | 64% | +6%-points |
| 15-minute flight punctuality indicator | 89% | 86% | +3%-points |
In 2020, airBaltic continues its expansion in the Baltics and will launch 14 new routes, including four new direct destinations from Tallinn, Estonia, and five new destinations from Vilnius, Lithuania.
airBaltic Pilot Academy’s sixth group of students begin studies
Pauls Cālītis, airBaltic SVP Flight Operations: “We launched our Pilot Academy two years ago. During this time, it has managed to gain a significant track record and continue its expansion. We have worked hard to offer opportunities for students to benefit greatly while learning from the first-hand experience of our professional instructors. We invest in the development of the Pilot Academy and now we have a fully equipped hangar under construction for our modern training aircraft at International Airport Liepaja and completed an order of additional Diamond Aircraft to support the continued growth of our training capabilities.”
Overall, there are now 53 active students at airBaltic Pilot Academy. Most of the students are from Baltic countries, however, there are students also from other EU countries such as Germany, France, Finland among others. More than 10% of airBaltic Pilot Academy students are female.
Recommended for you...