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Latvian carrier airBaltic has marked a new milestone in European aviation, surpassing 70 million passengers carried since its launch in 1995 and underscoring the airline’s evolving role as a key connector between the Baltic region and destinations across Europe and beyond.
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Milestone Coincides With 31st Anniversary
Reports from European aviation outlets indicate that airBaltic crossed the 70 million passenger threshold in late August 2026, in step with celebrations for the airline’s 31st anniversary. The carrier began operations in October 1995 and has since grown from a small regional operator into a network airline serving dozens of cities from its Baltic bases.
Coverage of the anniversary notes that the 70 million figure reflects cumulative traffic since the airline’s first commercial flight, capturing three decades of expansion in the Baltic air travel market. This includes periods of both rapid growth and sharp downturns associated with economic cycles and the pandemic, after which airBaltic moved to rebuild capacity and demand.
Industry reports also highlight that the timing of the milestone underscores how sustained demand for short and medium haul connectivity has supported the airline’s expansion. The passenger total is spread across scheduled services in its home region, leisure routes to Southern Europe, and growing operations under wet lease and capacity agreements with other airlines.
Record Passenger Volumes in 2024 and 2025
Publicly available financial and traffic data show that airBaltic entered its 31st year on the back of record passenger volumes. Company and government disclosures for 2024 and 2025 point to the highest annual totals in the airline’s history, contributing significantly to the 70 million cumulative count.
According to published figures for 2024, airBaltic carried more than five million passengers on its own network, with overall traffic including contract and charter operations exceeding eight million customers in a single year. Subsequent results for 2025 indicate a further increase, with reports of around 5.2 million passengers transported across a broadened route map and a total of 8.7 million passengers when all operations are included.
These back to back records highlight how the airline has leveraged its position at Riga, Tallinn, and Vilnius airports to attract both origin and transfer traffic. Passenger numbers at Riga have stabilized near pre pandemic levels, supported in large part by airBaltic’s network, which funnels travelers from across the Baltic states and neighboring markets onto flights deeper into Europe and beyond.
Expanding Network Across Europe and Beyond
Over the past several seasons, airBaltic has steadily widened its network, adding new leisure and city routes and strengthening links from its Baltic bases to Southern Europe, the Middle East, and the Caucasus. Public documents show that by 2024 the airline was serving more than 70 destinations, while later statements for 2025 indicate an increase to 82 destinations in 38 countries.
This expansion has included both traditional city pairs and more experimental concepts. Industry coverage notes that the airline introduced so called pop up flights in 2024, testing demand on shorter seasonal or event driven routes from Riga to regional cities. At the same time, it continued to build up capacity to major hubs and resort destinations that feed year round demand.
Travel sector reports emphasize that the airline’s growth strategy has focused on making Riga and other Baltic bases more competitive as transfer points. By offering single stop connections from cities such as Tallinn and Vilnius to Western and Southern Europe, airBaltic has been able to add incremental passengers who might otherwise route through larger hubs in Scandinavia, Poland, or Germany.
Fleet Strategy Built Around the Airbus A220
airBaltic’s ability to reach 70 million passengers has been closely tied to a fleet strategy centered on the Airbus A220. The airline completed its transition to an all A220 300 fleet in the first half of the 2020s and has continued to build on that position with additional aircraft orders.
Airbus and airline documentation show that airBaltic confirmed an incremental order in August 2024 for 10 more A220 300 aircraft, lifting its total order book for the type to 90 units. Subsequent annual reports indicate that by 2025 the active fleet had grown to around 51 A220 300s, making airBaltic one of the largest operators of the aircraft globally and the only airline in Europe to run an exclusively A220 fleet at this scale.
Analysts note that the single type strategy has allowed the carrier to simplify training, maintenance, and scheduling, while the aircraft’s fuel efficiency and range have supported thinner point to point routes from the Baltics that might not be viable with larger jets. This has been a critical factor in opening new destinations and maintaining frequency on key business and leisure routes.
Financial Performance and Future Outlook
Financial disclosures from Latvia’s Ministry of Transport and airBaltic’s own reports show that the airline has paired traffic growth with a gradual improvement in its results, even as it continues to post net losses. In 2025, revenue reached roughly 779 million euros, up about 4 percent year on year, while net losses narrowed compared with 2024 and operating profitability remained positive on an adjusted basis.
At the same time, the airline has attracted fresh capital and strategic partnerships. A 2025 transaction involving an investment from a major European airline group for a minority stake and board representation has been presented in public materials as a step toward long term financial stabilization and potential future privatization.
Looking ahead, published traffic and route planning information suggests that airBaltic will continue to focus on disciplined growth from its Baltic bases, the development of its A220 fleet, and a balance between its own scheduled services and wet lease operations for partner airlines. The achievement of 70 million passengers is likely to be used as a marker of the airline’s regional importance as it weighs further expansion and deeper integration into European aviation networks.
Aviation24.be coverage of airBaltic’s 70 million passenger milestone
LARA News report on airBaltic’s 31st anniversary
Latvia Ministry of Transport summary of airBaltic’s 2025 results