airBaltic to cut 500-700 jobs under downsizing plan

airBaltic has opened a collective redundancy process that could cut 500 to 700 jobs, the Latvian carrier said. The airline employs roughly 3,000 people, so the cuts would affect about 17% to 23% of the workforce.

The process covers operations in Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. How many positions will go, and how the cuts fall between Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius, has not been settled. A revised organisational structure is expected to clarify that.

Flights are not affected at this stage, according to the airline.

The restructuring was set out in August, when airBaltic dropped the expansion strategy built around a planned initial public offering. Financial stability now takes priority over growth.

Fleet plans have shifted. The airline had intended to operate about 100 Airbus A220-300s. It now aims to cut its fleet from 54 aircraft to roughly 36 by the end of 2026, with fewer destinations and a network concentrated on Riga.