airBaltic Welcomes 41st Airbus A220-300 Into Its Fleet

Simple Flying

By Vyte Klisauskaite

Published Apr 30, 2023

The Latvian airline is further cementing its position as the leading carrier across the Baltic region.

Photo: airBaltic

Latvian national carrier airBaltic has received yet another Airbus A220-300 aircraft, bringing the total number of A220s in its fleet to 41. The airline has been a strong supporter of the A220 since it first placed an order for the type.

The second A220 delivery in 2023

airBaltic's latest Airbus A220, bearing the registration number YL-ABO, has touched down at its base at Riga International Airport (RIX), marking the airline's second delivery of the year 2023. The brand-new aircraft is wearing a standard livery with an all-white fuselage and lime-green tailfin named 'Baltic' on it.

According to Flightradar24.com data, the newest member of airBaltic's A220 family completed more than eight-hour journey from Montreal, Canada, to its base at Riga International Airport (RIX) on April 29.

Since its arrival, the airline's A220 has already operated multiple flights between the capital cities of the Baltic countries, including Vilnius and Tallinn. Future flights are scheduled to run between RIX Airport and Tallinn Airport (TLL).

Photo: airBaltic

In March, airBaltic celebrated its 40th delivery of the A220-300 jet. The 40th, however, featured a special livery carrying the colors of the Latvian flag.

Nine A220s to go

In line with its growth plans, the Latvian carrier expects to operate 50 Airbus A220-300 jets by 2024. The airline also has options and purchase rights to acquire an extra 30 A220-300 aircraft from the European aircraft manufacturer.

Since welcoming its first A220-300 to its fleet in 2016, airBaltic has grown to be the world's largest operator of the type. It is closing in on three years since airBaltic became an all-A220 fleet. It is fair to say the airline is satisfied with its twinjet, stating that "the aircraft has performed beyond the company's expectations."

As it stands, airBaltic has flown around 11.26 million passengers on its fleet of Airbus A220-300 aircraft. The airline's A220-300s have completed over 130,000 flights and flown more than 280,000 block hours, according to airBaltic's latest report.

Photo: Bjoern Wylezich/Shutterstock

The airline is pleased with the benefits of having a fleet consisting of only one aircraft type, as well as the fuel efficiency that comes with it. Additionally, the A220 is known to be one of the most environmentally friendly aircraft in the world, contributing to a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions and a 50% reduction in NOX emissions.

Using its relatively sizeable fleet of A220s, the carrier connects the Baltic region with over 70 destinations in Europe, the Middle East, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries.

What are your thoughts on the Latvian flag carrier airBaltic? Have you ever flown on the airline's Airbus A220 aircraft? Let us know in the comments below!