airBaltic to cut nine routes and reduce flight frequency this winter
airBaltic will suspend nine routes and cut flight frequency on several others during the upcoming October-to-March winter season, adjusting capacity to expected demand. The airline says the changes affect only a small part of its network and are unrelated to its long-term strategy.
Latvian airline airBaltic will discontinue nine routes and reduce flight frequency on several other connections during the upcoming winter season, which runs from October to March, as it adjusts capacity to forecasted demand.
Routes being suspended include connections from Riga to Ljubljana and Malta, from Tallinn to London Gatwick, from Vilnius to Berlin and Dubai, several leisure routes from Las Palmas, and the Palanga-Tenerife route.
Reduced frequency on other routes
On the Riga-Copenhagen route, weekly flights will be cut by three, while connections from Riga to Stockholm, Frankfurt and Tampere will see two fewer flights per week. Several other routes, including Riga to Billund, Dubai, Oslo, Bucharest and Sharm el-Sheikh, will lose one weekly flight each. The airline is also optimizing operations at its seasonal base in Kuusamo, Finland, adjusting the flight programme to seasonal demand.
A company representative explained that these adjustments are part of routine commercial planning and network optimization, affecting only a small portion of airBaltic's overall network, and are not linked to the company's long-term business strategy. Passengers whose travel plans are affected will be offered alternative flights or the option to choose another flight within 14 days of their original departure date, or to request a refund.
Financial situation
In the first quarter of this year, airBaltic Group's losses reached €70.064 million, 2.4 times higher than in the same period last year, while revenue grew 12.3% to €149.086 million. Last year the group's revenue totaled €779.344 million, with losses of €44.337 million - 2.7 times lower than in 2024. In 2025 the airline carried 5.2 million passengers.
The company has suspended its planned initial public offering (IPO) and does not consider it a source of capital for 2026, noting that financing operations for the 2026/2027 winter season may require an additional cash injection of €100-150 million.
