airBaltic halves Tallinn routes

airBaltic has cut its planned direct network from Tallinn for summer 2027 to 13 destinations from 24, according to the airline’s published schedule and reporting by Estonian public broadcaster ERR. The Latvian carrier will drop 11 routes from Estonia’s capital for the season running from late March to late October 2027. The move comes after airBaltic approved a revised business plan in August that calls for fewer destinations and higher frequency on routes it keeps. ### Which Tallinn routes are being removed? ERR reported on September 2 that airBaltic will stop flying from Tallinn to Athens, Hamburg, Tirana, Billund, Burgas, Copenhagen, Malta, Oslo, Palma de Mallorca, Rhodes and Split next summer. The reduction leaves the airline with 13 direct routes from Tallinn. The remaining destinations listed by ERR are Riga, Amsterdam, Vilnius, Paris, Munich, Berlin, Brussels, Malaga, London Gatwick, Vienna, Barcelona, Heraklion and Nice. (news.err.ee) Frequencies on those routes range from up to five daily flights to Riga to twice-weekly service on several leisure destinations. ### Why is airBaltic doing this now? (news.err.ee) airBaltic said the summer 2027 schedule was drawn up in line with its revised business plan, which focuses operations on markets with the strongest demand and revenue potential. LARA, citing the carrier’s network plan, said the airline is keeping Riga as its main hub while maintaining more limited point-to-point flying from Tallinn and Vilnius. (news.err.ee) Jurgis Sedlenieks, vice-chair of airBaltic’s supervisory board, told ERR on August 13 that the company’s main base would remain in Riga and that the airline would fly to fewer destinations but with higher frequency. Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs told ERR the company was in a serious financial position and that the coming weeks were decisive as it sought bondholder backing and bridge financing. (news.err.ee) ### Does this mean Tallinn loses those connections entirely? Tallinn Airport board member Eero Pärgmäe told ERR that not every canceled airBaltic route would disappear from the market. He said Norwegian serves Oslo, SAS flies to Copenhagen and Wizz Air will continue on the Tirana route. Pärgmäe said negotiations with airlines for the 2027 summer season are still under way and that replacement depends on destination demand, aircraft availability and operating slots. (news.err.ee) He also said Tallinn Airport is served by 16 scheduled airlines in addition to charter operators. ### How big is the hit for Tallinn Airport? (news.err.ee) Tallinn Airport said the canceled airBaltic routes account for 4% of its annual passenger numbers because many were low-frequency seasonal services. Pärgmäe told ERR that Estonia’s air links do not depend on one airline and that Tallinn retains access to major European hub airports offering onward connections. (news.err.ee) ERR also reported that 39 destinations will be reachable directly from Tallinn in the winter season. Eurowings will extend Düsseldorf service into winter on selected dates, and airBaltic will keep flying the Vienna route launched this summer. ### What does the new network say about airBaltic’s Baltic strategy? LARA reported that airBaltic’s summer 2027 program will include 57 direct routes from Riga, 13 from Tallinn and eight from Vilnius. (news.err.ee) Mantas Vrubliauskas, the airline’s vice president for network management, said the carrier was increasing frequencies on a number of popular destinations while designing the network around passenger demand. From late March to late October 2027, the new schedule will test whether other carriers step into any of the dropped Tallinn markets. Tallinn Airport has said talks on the 2027 summer season are continuing, while airBaltic’s revised plan still depends on the financing and restructuring steps outlined by Latvian officials in August. (news.err.ee) (laranews.net)