Is the national airline a symbol of pride or a chronically unprofitable project? A Latvian expert stated: airBaltic cannot break even, and society needs to honestly understand if we are ready to pay for it.
In Latvia, an increasingly open discussion is brewing about the future of the national airline airBaltic. Historian, Doctor of Historical Sciences, and leading researcher at the Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences, Gatis Krūmiņš, stated on the program "Preses klubs" on TV24 that the existing model of the company is not viable.
According to him, the key issue lies in the very approach: "There needs to be a paradigm shift. We must honestly say — this project cannot break even, it cannot be a business." The expert noted that the economic and social activity of the region, including Riga, is insufficient to support a large-scale and quality air network. At the same time, Krūmiņš emphasized that difficulties are not only experienced in Latvia: "The problems are not only with our airline — they are faced in much larger cities as well."
He believes that society needs to be directly informed about the real state of affairs: either the country is ready to finance the airline, or its existence should be reconsidered. The historian suggested viewing airBaltic as an element of national identity:
"It is part of our national self-esteem. Like the Olympics, football, or basketball — we participate, it costs money, but it’s about prestige."
He added that having its own airline favorably distinguishes Latvia among its neighbors: "Lithuania and Estonia do not have this. They praise us: you have an airline, you fly, people come to you." However, the key question, according to the expert, remains open: "Are we ready to pay for this?"
Krūmiņš also dismissed popular conspiracy theories: "We need to stop saying that someone wants to deliberately cause harm. It’s just that this business cannot be made profitable." He recalled the strategy of the former head of the company, Martin Gauss:
"The idea was good — to purchase many airplanes, actively fly around the world, partially subsidizing to make Riga an aviation hub."
However, external factors destroyed these plans: "The war in Ukraine started, then other crises — and it became clear: it won’t work."
In the end, the expert formulated a harsh choice: "If we want to operate 'at zero' and are not ready to pay — then this business needs to be closed."
It was previously reported that the losses of the Latvian national airline airBaltic last year amounted to €44.337 million, which is 2.7 times less than in 2024.
