airBaltic expands network despite COVID-19

airBaltic says it will launch a new seasonal connection between Riga and Rhodes from 6 August. By the end of August 2020, the carrier intends to operate flights on 69 routes.

airBaltic Airbus A220-300. Photo by Jero Vida | AeroNewsX

“We are pleased to offer our travellers another popular summer destination to the Greek island of Rhodesas well as connecting travellers from the south with Riga and beyond,” explained Martin Gauss, CEO at airBaltic.

Gauss added: “We are resuming more flights while continuing to follow a variety of additional safety measures to protect our employees and passengers.”

The new seasonal route will operate twice weekly with an Airbus A220-300. Flight time is approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes.

airBaltic says it plans to operate on 69 routes by the end of August as travel demand begins to pick up. According to the International Air Transport Association, the aviation industry saw its lowest month in April and has since been recovering slowly.

Recently, airlines like KLM have been resuming services on a large majority of their networks, albeit at a lower frequency based on demand. The Dutch carrier operated to 72 destinations in July and from August through October, intends to fly to 91. Like airBaltic, the airline has also added new destinations to its network, including Cork (Ireland), Southampton (United Kingdom) and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).