Lithuanian minister sees no signs of airBaltic reducing flights, exiting country

VILNIUS - Lithuanian Transport Minister Juras Taminskas said on Monday there was no evidence that Latvian airline airBaltic planned to reduce its flight volumes or withdraw from Lithuania despite the carrier's financial difficulties.

"We have not received any data, either from my Latvian counterpart or through other channels, suggesting that airBaltic plans to leave Lithuania or reduce the number of flights," Taminskas told Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT.

However, the minister said Lithuania was preparing for possible scenarios. He said a contingency plan was being developed in case airBaltic decided to scale back operations or exit the market.

"We are reacting proactively, and today I am meeting with the management of Lithuanian Airports. They will present their initial vision and plan, and we will discuss how we would respond if the negative scenario begins to materialize," Taminskas said.

The minister urged against panic, saying Lithuania remained an attractive aviation market and that any gap left by the airline would be quickly filled.

AirBaltic maintains that Lithuania remains a key strategic market with strong passenger demand. The company is currently implementing a revised business plan, guided by international financial and legal consultants, to strengthen its financial and operational foundations and ensure long-term sustainability.

The airline currently operates 21 direct routes from Vilnius and two from Palanga. The Latvian state is the largest shareholder in airBaltic, holding 88.37 percent of the company's shares.