With COVID-19 travel restrictions easing in parts of the world, airlines are gradually rebuilding their networks. Routes analyzes some of the services returning as well as new routes being launched. This week: airBaltic’s new route to Dublin; Air New Zealand resuming flights to Tokyo; and Luxair re-entering a market it last served in 2007.
Routes speaks to Aurimas Stikliūnas, the head of Aviation Services at Lithuanian Airports, about how the coronavirus crisis has affected Vilnius Airport (VNO) and what is being done to re-stimulate demand.
Latvian carrier airBaltic has announced further deep cuts to capacity over the next six months, as well as delaying the launch of all new routes planned for the summer 2020 season.
airBaltic is one of Europe’s fastest-growing carriers, with a stated goal of reaching 15 million passengers by 2025. Ahead of his keynote address at World Routes 2019, CEO Martin Gauss outlined its plans to develop a network which spans from its heartland in the Baltics to new airports and bases across Europe.
airBaltic will inaugurate the Riga – Abu Dhabi service from the start of the winter schedules on October 29, 2017 and will operate four weekly return flights using its CS300. The Etihad Airways ‘EY’ code will also be displayed on the flight under a full codeshare partnership.
The airline has selected the Canadian-built airliner for its exclusive future short-haul fleet and will replace all its existing Boeing aircraft with 20 factory new CS300s by 2020. The aircraft will not just modernise the fleet and boost efficiency, but will also enhance the airline’s range of services, expanding into medium-haul markets from Riga such as Abu Dhabi, Almaty, Astana, Casablanca, Dubai, Marrakech and Tenerife thanks to its operating performance.
European low-cost carrier Norwegian is set to open four new operational bases – two in the US and two in Europe – in 2017 to support the growth of its long-haul transatlantic network. The internal go-ahead for the expansion follows the final approval late last week by the US Department of Transportation for a foreign carrier permit for the airline’s Norwegian Air International business.
airBaltic holds firm orders for 13 CS300s and options for a further seven aircraft and sees the CSeries as not just an efficient replacement for its older Boeing 737s, but also providing the right capacity and range to support the wider development of the business.
airBaltic has an order for 13 CS300s, the first of which is due to arrive in the third quarter of 2016 and is understood to be considering converting options for a further seven aircraft. It plans to use the aircraft for a mix of short- and medium-haul flying, including its Riga – Abu Dhabi route which it serves in partnership with Etihad Airways.
With five based aircraft, Berlin will become the airlines’ 73rd base, and will see the launch of sixteen new routes, bringing the total number of destinations to 22.
It has been a busy first quarter for Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield Airport in the UK with new flights announced by Wizz Air to Bucharest and Riga and from Links Air to Belfast and the Isle of Man.
