airBaltic to cut number of routes from Riga next summer while boosting frequency on busiest lines
airBaltic will offer 55 regular direct routes from Riga in the 2027 summer season, nearly 20% fewer than this year, while increasing flight frequency on 12 of its most popular routes. The airline says total seat capacity will remain similar to the previous season.
Latvia's national airline airBaltic will operate 57 direct routes from Riga during the 2027 summer season, though two of them — to Madeira and Sharm el-Sheikh — will only be served in April. After that, the network will settle at 55 permanent destinations, almost 20% fewer than the nearly 70 direct routes offered this past summer. The figures were compiled by the LETA news agency based on information from the airline.
Routes cut and expanded
Destinations disappearing from the network next summer include Aberdeen, Antalya, Batumi, Bergen, Dublin, Yerevan, Faro, Gothenburg, Malta, Olbia and Valencia. Flights to Dubai are planned for the winter season instead.
At the same time, frequency will increase on 12 of the most in-demand routes: London Gatwick will see up to 14 flights a week, Paris and Vienna up to 12, Barcelona, Rome, Hamburg and Düsseldorf up to seven, Milan up to six, Athens and Nice up to four, and Alicante and Split up to three flights a week.
airBaltic's head of public and political relations, Augusts Zilbers, stressed that although the number of routes is shrinking, the total number of seats offered will be comparable to this year's summer season. The company says the new schedule reflects an optimized, demand-based network strategy focused on the highest-yield markets, while strengthening Riga's role as a transit hub.
Financial situation
The network changes come amid a broader financial stabilization plan for the airline. The Latvian government has backed possible state participation in a bridge-financing bond purchase of up to €30 million, alongside converting a state loan and existing bonds into equity. The company's 2025 revenue reached €779.3 million, while losses stood at €44.3 million — 2.7 times lower than the previous year. The airline carried 5.2 million passengers last year. The business plan also envisions reducing the fleet to 36 Airbus A220-300 aircraft by the end of this year, before growing it back to around 40 aircraft by 2031.
