Prime Minister Kulbergs: airBaltic Cannot Fly Without State Funds

Prime Minister Kulbergs has expressed skepticism about the national airline airBaltic's ability to operate without continuous state financial injections. He emphasized that the government first wants to review the company's business plan before making decisions on further financial support.

Kulbergs noted that the airline's previous development plans have not been sufficiently evaluated. He described the company's goals – operating 100 aircraft and serving 10 million passengers annually – as overly ambitious and lacking proper economic justification.

The Prime Minister also criticized the state-owned enterprise governance system, pointing out that the state cannot always provide adequate professional oversight. He acknowledged that airBaltic is strategically important for Latvia, but that cannot serve as a basis for unlimited state funding.

Kulbergs has demanded that Transport Minister Rihards Kozlovskis submit the business plan so that the government can assess its viability. The plan is expected to be submitted this month. "We'll see, but I think airBaltic cannot fly without an injection of money," the Prime Minister said.