airBaltic has reported its strongest January passenger performance to date while continuing to expand its all-Airbus A220-300 fleet with the delivery of its 54th aircraft.
In January 2026, the Latvian carrier transported 338,500 passengers across its network, a 3% year-on-year increase and the highest January total in the airline’s history. Flight activity rose 5.2% to 3,507 departures.
However, load factor declined by 2.7 percentage points to 72.7%, reflecting increased capacity and pricing adjustments during the traditionally weaker winter season, with capacity growth slightly outpacing demand.
The January results follow a record-breaking 2025, during which airBaltic carried 5.2 million passengers and operated 47,600 flights, up 2.6% compared to 2024.
Looking ahead to summer 2026, the airline plans to launch 14 new routes — eight from Riga, four from Tallinn and two from Vilnius — while increasing frequencies on 30 existing Baltic routes.
On 15 February, airBaltic took delivery of its 54th Airbus A220-300, registered YL-BTD, marking the second A220 added in 2026.
The A220-300 forms the backbone of the carrier’s single-type fleet strategy and is deployed both on scheduled services and ACMI operations across Europe, enabling flexible seasonal capacity management.
Since introducing the type in 2016, airBaltic has carried more than 24 million passengers on the A220-300, operating around 250,000 flights and accumulating over 551,000 flight hours.
The aircraft offers enhanced passenger comfort — including wider seats and larger windows — while delivering lower noise levels and reduced CO? and NOx emissions compared to previous-generation narrowbodies.
airBaltic is also progressing with fleet-wide connectivity upgrades. In 2025, it became the first European airline to introduce complimentary high-speed Starlink internet onboard, with more than 20 aircraft already equipped and further installations underway.
With steady traffic growth and continued fleet expansion, airBaltic enters 2026 reinforcing both its market position in the Baltics and its commitment to a modern, single-type fleet model.
This post was published on 16 February 2026 22:48
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