airBaltic to gradually introduce group boarding to improve boarding process

RIGA - The Latvian national airline airBaltic announces the launch of Group Boarding, a new process designed to make flight boarding smoother, faster, and more comfortable for all travelers, LETA learned from the airline.

Beginning October 6, boarding for airBaltic flights will gradually take place in clearly defined groups, shown on each passenger’s boarding pass.

The system is intended to ease gate congestion and provide a calmer start to every flight. Passengers simply check the group number on their boarding pass and board when their group is called.

This boarding process has been developed in line with industry best practices and the collective experience of leading airlines, ensuring an approach that is both passenger-friendly and operationally efficient.

First there will be Pre-boarding - families traveling with children, unaccompanied minors, and passengers requiring special assistance. Group 1 will include Business Class passengers and airBaltic Club VIP and Executive members. Group 2 will include passengers with Economy FLEX tickets, corporate travelers, and those who have purchased prepaid heavy cabin baggage.

Finally, Groups 3-5 will then board in order, based on their assigned seating.

As reported, airBaltic carried 5.2 million passengers in 2024, which is an increase of 13 percent against a year before, while the number of the airline's flights rose 7 percent year-on-year to 47,000.

In the first six months of this year airBaltic cut its loss several times to EUR 1.729 million, while the concern's turnover rose by 3 percent to EUR 349.648 million.

airBaltic Group posted an audited loss of EUR 118.159 million for 2024, compared to a profit of EUR 747.572 million the year before, while its revenue increased by 11.9 percent year-on-year to EUR 747.572 million.

At the end of August 2025, German national airline Lufthansa became a shareholder in airBaltic. Currently, the Latvian state owns 88.37 percent of airBaltic shares, Lufthansa - 10 percent, Aircraft Leasing 1, owned by Danish businessman Lars Thuesen, owns 1.62 percent, and 0.01 percent of airBaltic shares belong to other shareholders. The company's share capital is EUR 41.819 million.

After the IPO, the size of Lufthansa Group's holding will be determined by the potential IPO market price. The transaction also provides that Lufthansa Group will own at least 5 percent of the capital of airBaltic after the potential IPO. The Latvian government also agreed in August 2024 that the state must retain at least 25 percent plus one share in the capital of airBaltic after the IPO.