Spearheaded by the Airbus A220 and a hybrid strategy unseen elsewhere in the region, Air Baltic under Martin Gauss is a rare example of a small, state-owned airline thriving in Europe
Walk into Air Baltic’s boardroom at its Riga International airport headquarters, and your eyes are immediately drawn to a table featuring dozens of tiny Airbus A220-300 models adorned with the carrier’s distinctive green livery.
On the day Airline Business visited the Latvian carrier, the models are split into two groups: the first cluster reflects Air Baltic’s in-service fleet of 21 A220s and the larger one represents the 58 jets in its order backlog – including 30 on option.
A single model is positioned between the groups: Air Baltic’s 22nd A220, which was due for delivery days later.
The display is a point of pride for Air Baltic chief executive Martin Gauss, representing a strategic decision that has become the linchpin of the carrier’s strategy …