airBaltic prepares job cuts as fleet shrinks to 36 aircraft

Latvia’s airBaltic is preparing collective redundancies as it reduces its fleet and restructures its finances, board chairman Andrejs Martinovs told Latvian Radio on 20 October.

Martinovs declined to give a final figure, saying voluntary departures continued to affect the number of compulsory job losses required. The airline had previously indicated that between 500 and 700 positions could be cut. He nevertheless rejected suggestions of a mass staff exodus.

An attempt to secure a collective agreement on reduced working hours, including an 85% workload arrangement, had been unsuccessful. Employees can still apply individually for reduced hours, with requests assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Martinovs said the fleet would fall to 36 aircraft by the end of 2026, before gradually increasing to 40 by 2030.

The planned redundancies come as airBaltic pursues Chapter 11 financial restructuring in the United States, seeking to reorganise its obligations and secure additional funding. No final redundancy total or implementation timetable was disclosed in the interview.

Source: Latvian Public Service Media (LSM)