airBaltic Cancels Five More Destinations from Riga for Winter Season

Latvia's national airline airBaltic has removed five more destinations from its winter schedule out of Riga and will reduce flight frequencies on several routes. The changes were confirmed by Augusts Zilberts, the company's head of public and political relations. They affect travellers planning trips to these cities and come while the airline is restructuring its financial obligations under US law.

Which routes change

No winter flights will operate from Riga to Bucharest in Romania, Sofia in Bulgaria, Budapest in Hungary or Oulu in Finland. These are planned to resume in the summer season. Flights to Innsbruck in Austria will be discontinued.

Frequencies will be reduced on four routes — Copenhagen, Oslo, Vienna and Munich — reflecting traditionally lower demand in January and February. Daily connections to these cities will remain. The schedule to Madeira and Prague will also be adjusted in certain months.

Affected passengers can move their flight to another one within 14 days before or after the original date, or request a refund. In total, airBaltic will offer more than 45 direct destinations from Riga this winter.

Reasons given

Zilberts said the company, like other airlines, regularly reviews its route network and matches capacity to demand. Higher aviation fuel prices are also a significant factor, he said. He stressed the adjustments are routine planning and do not affect long-term development plans.

The airline previously said it would suspend flights on more than ten routes in the Baltic states this winter, including seven from Riga: Faro, Kittilä, Ljubljana, Malta, Marrakech, Salzburg and Dubai. Flights to Ljubljana will return in summer.

Financial background

airBaltic has begun restructuring under the US "Chapter 11" procedure, which shields a company from creditor claims until restructuring is complete. Lenders have committed up to €350 million in new financing, of which €140 million has been received. The process is expected to end in mid-2027 with a court-approved reorganisation plan. The company says other flights and existing tickets remain valid.

Last year the group's revenue was €779.344 million and its loss €44.337 million. The Latvian state owns 88.37% of the shares and Lufthansa holds 10%.