11-Sep-2009 9:35 AM

airBaltic welcomes the idea of a pan-Baltic airline

Direct News Source

10-Sep-2009 The Latvian airline airBaltic very much appreciates and welcomes the idea of the transportation ministers of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia to evaluate the establishment of a single airline for all three Baltic States. 

Bertolt Flick, President and CEO of airBaltic: "Of course, there is such an airline already - airBaltic offers direct flights from Rīga and Vilnius, and on October 1, it will start offering direct flights from the Estonian city of Tallinn to Turku, Finland. The airline provides services at regional Estonian and Lithuanian airports in Tartu, Palanga and Kaunas. Right now airBaltic holds a 65% market share at the Riga airport, providing services to nearly 50% of the airline passengers in the Baltic States.

We are prepared to become involved in future negotiations. If the airline's capital base is expanded, airBaltic will expand even more rapidly than before in the Baltic States."

The idea of establishing a pan-Baltic airline appeared 15 years ago, and airBaltic was given its name so as to demonstrate the fact that it operates throughout the Baltic region.

airBaltic is the largest airline in the Baltic States, and it has diversified its tourism-related services with a revolutionary approach - it offers clients a chance to book airline tickets and hotel rooms at its brand new online travel agency. This means that airBaltic has every chance of becoming not only the largest airline in the region, but also the largest tourism operator in the Baltic States, offering the lowest prices for travel packages.