airBaltic cancels planned Liège flights, leaving airport without scheduled passenger services

airBaltic has cancelled its planned winter flights from Liège Airport to Tenerife South and Gran Canaria, Liège Airport confirmed to the independent transport publication mobilithib. The decision leaves the Belgian airport without any scheduled commercial passenger services following TUI fly’s withdrawal in January 2026.

The Latvian airline had initially planned two weekly flights to each Canary Island destination from late October. Three weeks ago, however, it halved the programme because of weak bookings, before now cancelling the routes altogether.

Liège Airport spokesperson Christian Delcourt described the decision as a “major disappointment”, saying airBaltic’s arrival had been one of the few positive developments for the airport’s passenger activities since TUI fly’s departure.

The cancellation comes shortly after airBaltic presented a new business plan prioritising financial stability over growth. The airline intends to concentrate its network around Riga, reduce its Airbus A220-300 fleet from 54 to approximately 36 aircraft by the end of 2026 and expand its ACMI operations. Groningen Airport in the Netherlands has also lost its planned airBaltic service to Tenerife, while several other routes—including Vilnius–Dubai—have been withdrawn or suspended. In Belgium, airBaltic will continue operating Riga–Brussels and Tallinn–Brussels.

Liège Airport says it is too early to determine whether scheduled passenger flights could return in summer 2027. The airport continues to seek airline partners, both to provide holiday flights for the Liège region and to support inbound tourism, although freight remains its principal business.

Source: Thibault Lapers, mobilithib, 25 August 2026.