• 

  airBaltic

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  BI/BTI

  Airline Type:

  Hybrid Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Riga International Airport

  Year Founded:

  1995

  CEO:

  Martin Gauss

  Country:

  Latvia

Riga-based airBaltic has just taken delivery of its 36th Airbus A220-300 jet, registered YL-ABJ. It is the fourth of eight anticipated deliveries of the type in 2022, coming just one week after the delivery of number 35. 14 A220s are still expected over the next several years as part of the carrier’s 50-strong order with Airbus, with an option and purchase rights for 30 more if required.

Latest additions

YL-ABI and YL-ABJ joined the exclusively A220 fleet on May 21 and 28 respectively. While the latter awaits implementation into airBaltic’s network, the former YL-ABI has been spotted dotting around Europe, covering routes between its central hub in Riga to Tallinn, Frankfurt, and Vienna.

Since welcoming the ultra-efficient narrowbody into its fleet back in 2016, airBaltic has carried almost 8 million passengers on the type, having completed over 92,000 flights across 200,000 block hours.

The A220 has proved an unlikely popular choice with airlines across the world. Boasting a range of 3,600 NM with a passenger capacity of up to 160, the jet has found itself implemented on several low-density, medium-haul routes, typically operated by its slightly larger A320 siblings, including airBaltic’s Riga to Dubai service (six hours and 45 minutes), Air Austral’s Chennai to Reunion (six hours and 10 minutes), and JetBlue’s New York to San Jose (six hours and 40 minutes) planned for launch in September.

In its six years of operating the aircraft, airBaltic has consistently sung the A220’s praises, celebrating its reliability and efficiency. The carrier notes that the jet has performed well beyond its expectations, having delivered better overall performance, fuel efficiency, and convenience for both its passengers and staff, thanks to its improved flying experience, from wider seats to larger windows and improved toilets.

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Growing popularity

The a220 is currently the greenest commercial aircraft globally, thanks to its low operating noise – around four times smaller than its counterparts, and efficient engines that reduce carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions by 20% and 50%.

Recently, the carrier has been on tour across the Asia-Pacific region with Airbus, demonstrating the jet’s capabilities in Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, and Japan.

Demand across Europe has seen airBaltic wet lease several of its aircraft, with four serving with Lufthansa-subsidiary Eurowings and a fifth with SAS. Accounting for around 15% of its fleet, the carrier believes there could be even more leases on the cards.

“There’s a very significant demand for A220 aircraft, especially the -300 version. So I guess if we would try, we could lease out the whole of our fleet this year,” noted CEO Martin Gauss in a recent interview with Simple Flying. “The demand is not only coming from Europe. We have global demand for the aircraft, and [we are] working now on some of the winter leads in different continents.”

The right solution

Having established its niche within medium-haul, low-capacity routes, Gauss added that the surge in popularity reflected the current market. With demand for travel returning but some hesitancy remaining, the A220 has become an ideal versatile tool within airBaltic’s fleet.

Have you flown on one of airBaltics Airbus A220s? What was your experience? Let us know in the comments.