It has been a busy week for Latvia’s flag carrier, airBaltic, that recorded a 54% increase in new reservations last week. The reservations are for future flights to/from the three Baltic capitals of Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius.

airBaltic’s CEO, Martin Gauss said:

Passenger interest has been growing rapidly over the last few weeks. The number of new reservations has more than doubled if we compare previous week to the last week of May. Our passengers are ready to travel and our mission is to provide them a safe and pleasant journey.

Currently, the Baltic carrier is flying directly to many destinations in Germany and to Paris, Oslo, Vienna and its secondary hubs —Tallinn and Vilnius— from its primary base in Riga.

Earlier, airBaltic announced that it has received all the necessary permissions to fly to popular destinations in Europe — nine in total — between 15 June and 7 July. This is expected as most European airlines want to make the best of what’s left of the summer holidays.

The Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are a tourist hotspot which attract thousands of travellers each year. They offer a unique blend of natural beauty (forests, lakes and countryside), exquisite heritage sites and enchanting archipelago and islets.

airBaltic’s efforts and incentives for travellers are now paying off. It recently reported that since flights have resumed, it has carried over 27 000 passengers. And every week the number of passengers keeps on increasing.

airBaltic Health Measures

airBaltic has implemented several health measures on flights similar to other airlines which have resumed flight operations. It’s mostly Airbus A220 fleet (now also the youngest) is fitted with HEPA filters; which are very efficient in cleaning cabin air.

Additionally, passengers arriving at airports will take a body temperature test and subsequently board the aircraft if their temperature is below 37.8°C. Cabin crew will then provide passengers a “basic care kit” containing a face mask and disinfection wipes.  They will be required to wear the mask for the duration of the flight.

In a recent interview with Simple Flying, Gauss said that “masks on planes won’t become the new normal.” He admitted the oddity of wearing masks on board and in airports but explained: “I hope and I believe it will be an interim measure but it’s needed now.” He also recognised the cooperation offered by airBaltic passengers with not a single one complaining about wearing the face mask.:

We have not had any comments even from passengers apart from it being positive that we give them this package basic care kit with a mask and the disinfection wipes. Also, we have not had a single complaint from anybody about wearing masks.

airBaltic had, in May, secured government funding, which it hoped would help it survive the current aviation crisis. The airline, after resuming many routes, is now well on its way towards recovery. We hope airBaltic can navigate these turbulent times unharmed.

Have you ever travelled with airBaltic? Let us know in the comments!

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