Air Baltic. Photo: Sergio Torres Parra, Shutterstock Latvian airline airBaltic carried 447,400 passengers in October 2026, down 6% from the same month last year. The airline also recorded a slight reduction in flights operated, while its load factor fell by three percentage points.
According to the company's latest traffic figures, airBaltic operated 4,167 flights across its network in October, down from 4,218 in October 2025, a 1.2% decrease.
The average load factor stood at 79.5%, down from 82.5% a year earlier. The airline attributed the changes mainly to ongoing adjustments to its route network and capacity, as well as broader market conditions.
Despite the weaker October performance, airBaltic reported record passenger numbers for the first ten months of 2026.
Between January and October, the airline carried 4,487,800 passengers, up 2.4% from the same period in 2025. This represents the highest passenger volume airBaltic has ever recorded for the January-October period.
Flight operations also increased during those ten months. The carrier operated 41,774 flights, up 4.7% year-on-year, indicating continued growth in its overall network activity.
Founded in 1995, airBaltic is Latvia's national airline and one of the main carriers serving the Baltic States. From its bases in the region, it connects passengers with destinations across Europe and beyond.
The airline operates a fleet of Airbus A220-300 aircraft, one of Europe's youngest fleets. It has also been investing in onboard technology, becoming the first European airline to introduce free high-speed SpaceX Starlink internet across its flights in 2025.
The Latvian state majority-owns the company, holding 88.37% of its voting rights. Deutsche Lufthansa AG owns a 10% stake, while the remaining 1.63% is held by private shareholders.
airBaltic also received several industry recognitions in 2026. AirlineRatings included the carrier among the world's 50 safest airlines for the second consecutive year, while APEX awarded it a Five Star Major Airline rating and offered it the winner of the Best Wi-Fi in Europe award.