Latvian flag carrier, airBaltic added a new addition of Airbus A220-300 to its fleet on August 15. The latest aircraft, having the registration YL-ABB, is the third delivery of A220-300, with the airline’s plan to receive seven such aircraft in 2021. As a part of 50 Airbus A220-300 orders placed with Airbus, in addition to holding up of 30 options for the same aircraft type, the third aircraft departed from Canada Montreal-Mirabel International Airport (YMX) and arrived at Riga International Airport (RIX) on Sunday. airBaltic concentrates its traffic flow through its main hub at Riga International Airport, with secondary hubs at Tallinn Airport (TLL) in Estonia and Vilnius Airport (VNO) in Lithuania.
In 2021, airBaltic serves 96 routes from the Baltics, strengthening its market position as the vaccination level increased and the leisure travel demand rejuvenated. Positioning itself as one of Europe’s most punctual airlines, airBaltic serves the Baltic region, flying across the air network of 70+ destinations in Europe, the Middle East, and the CIS. airBaltic caters mainly to the European leisure and Metropolitan destinations from Baltic states.
To tap into the market and support a future return to profit and growth, airBaltic is planning to retain 32 Airbus A220-300 by the end of 2021.
Accepting a brand new aircraft is always a thrilling experience! On August 15, our crew delivered a new addition to our fleet directly from Canada to @riga_airport. Our 28th @Airbus A220-300 welcomes passengers with registration YL-ABB ✈️ pic.twitter.com/3U3haQjukV
— airBaltic (@airBaltic) August 16, 2021
In 2020, airBaltic retired its Boeing 737s and De Havilland Canada DHC-8-400s to the operator of only Canadian-built Airbus A220-300s. airBaltic did so to simplify its fleet, which could save the airline’s money on this devastating pandemic induced by uniformity in the fleet. The airline has minimized the complexity of operating a multi-aircraft type fleet and derived its benefit from the performance of A220-300s.
Performance of Airbus A220-300 beyond airBaltic’s expectations
airBaltic says that the Airbus A220-300 has its performance way above the airline’s expectations due to the fuel efficiency, convenience for both passengers and the crews. A220-300 of airBaltic has a single 2+3 145 seat layout configuration, albeit the first two rows are 0+1 and 2+2 due to their adjacency to lavatory and galley. The aircraft are well-known for their excellent flying experience and outstanding comfort for the passengers with wider seats, large windows (18.5 inches), bigger overhead bins, and improved lavatories.
Also Read: AirBaltic re-operates its entire grounded Bombardier CSeries CS300 aircraft
The seat has better legroom than 737-300s. Small screens are installed in the aircraft above the passenger’s head. The new aircraft has a four times smaller noise footprint than others. Considered the greenest commercial aircraft globally, A220-300 helps to offset carbon emission by 20% and Nitrogen oxide emission by 50%. With an aim to fly greener, the modern fleet of A220-300 is the youngest jet fleet in Europe in addition to being fresh, spacious, comfortable, and ecofriendly. Not only that, the clear air onboard the aircraft with HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filters will be provided from the very beginning of boarding, during the entire flight, and till the passengers leave the plane. The best level of filtration provided by HEPA recirculates the cabin air with ventilation rate on a total change of air 20-30 times per hour and captures the air-borne virus and bacteria to reduce the COVID-19 virus transmission.
The new delivery of the new 28th aircraft marks the airBaltic fleet modernization plan. The green tail of the aircraft signifies the airline’s commitment to fly sustainably, operating one of the greenest fleets.
The Airbus A220-300 is a huge part of airBaltic’s improved business plan since 28 has now already joined the fleet. The coronavirus pandemic forced the airline to decrease its flight capacity and reduce the fleet, retiring the Boeing 737s. It’s not that the aviation industry will recover overnight, but it will take a little while for airBaltic to increase its fleet at a rapid rate.
Ryanair to add the new base in Riga challenges airBaltic
Ryanair, the low-cost airline of Ireland, has announced to make a presence in Abwhole. This October, Ryanair will add 16 new routes from Riga, reflecting its move to support economic recovery and international connectivity. Ryanair’s recent flight announcement challenges the state-run airBaltic.
About airBaltic
airBaltic is a leading airline in the Baltic countries, founded in 1995. It is a hybrid airline operating in networks spanning Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, CIS, and the Middle East. With a vision to become a sustainable carrier in the European Union aviation market, airBaltic is committed to delivering top-notch quality at flight operations by introducing green practices with the operation of A220-300s, the green aircraft which integrates innovative and affordable technologies to deliver overall efficient performance.
