AirBaltic foresees up to 700 jobs affected while consulting on adjustment

AirBaltic foresees that between 500 and 700 jobs could be affected at its bases in Riga, Vilnius, and Tallinn, as part of a new business plan that combines cost cuts with a fleet reduction. The estimate equates to up to around 23% of a workforce of approximately 3,000 people, according to information published by the company and reported by media outlets.

The airline has notified the State Employment Agency of Latvia of its intention to initiate a collective dismissal procedure. However, airBaltic emphasizes that the figure may still change during the consultations and that, for now, no individual departures have been decided, nor have the specific areas or professional categories to be affected been identified.

An adjustment linked to a smaller-scale plan

The workforce reduction is part of a broader reorganization. The plan contemplates reducing the fleet from 54 to approximately 36 Airbus A220-300 aircraft and reviewing the company's cost structure and network. The company operates in the three Baltic countries, although the notification of the labor procedure mentioned in the reports corresponds to Latvia.

The financial restructuring is being carried out under Chapter 11 of the US bankruptcy legislation, a process supervised by a court that allows the company to reorganize its obligations while continuing to operate. According to available coverage, airBaltic obtained authorization to access an initial tranche of financing of 140 million euros. That financial process and the workforce adjustment are related but distinct areas: the announcement of affected jobs does not equate to a final decision on departures.

Consultations and union disagreement

The company has indicated that it expects to provide more detailed information to its employees during October and that it is preparing a new organizational structure. It is also holding talks with labor representatives on possible formulas to reduce the workload of pilots and cabin crew.

Dace Kavasa, president of the Latvian aviation union, criticized the management of the plan and characterized the rejection of an alternative proposed by the workers—reducing the workday to 85%—as "union persecution." Kavasa also stated that she learned of the range of affected positions shortly before a meeting with employees. These are statements attributed to the union leader; the final figure and the specific scope of the adjustment remain pending the consultation process.

Scheduled flights: no announced changes

AirBaltic states that the adjustment does not modify the current flight schedule and that scheduled services continue to operate normally. This is the situation communicated by the airline; it does not constitute a guarantee against future changes in the network or capacity, aspects that the business plan intends to review.

For companies and travelers, it is advisable to distinguish between the operational continuity declared by the company in the present and the labor measures still under consultation. For now, available information does not identify specific positions nor announce cancellations resulting from this process.