Airlines airBaltic to expand maintenance at Riga Airport

airBaltic has officially announced plans that see a new maintenance hangar being built at Riga Airport, the carrier´s main operational hub. With the new aircraft hangar, maintenance costs could be reduced, and operations could become more efficient.

Together with Riga Airport, airBaltic has signed a building rights agreement. Planned beginning of the construction work is set to 2022. By the end of 2023, the new maintenance facility is expected to be ready for operations.

Martin Gauss, Chief Executive Officer of airBaltic: “The new hangar has been in our plans for years, as part of our future expansion. By the time the new hangar will be complete, we will be on our growth path again ensuring the crucial connectivity between the Baltics and the rest of world with almost twice as many Airbus A220-300 aircraft as we have today. Since 2019, we have been performing all of the maintenance on the aircraft ourselves, and our development with bigger fleet will require an aircraft hangar of a suitable size.”

Gauss added that the global A220 Fleet is continually growing and that airBaltic will be able to offer heavy maintenance work to customers around the world. He said that the new hangar would be the largest and most modern aircraft facility in the region.

Laila Odiņa, Chairwoman of the Board at the Riga Airport, added: “Construction of the new airBaltic aircraft maintenance hangar at Riga Airport will consolidate the airport's positions as the main base of the national airline airBaltic, providing and increasing the range and amount of aviation and non-aviation services provided by the airport, promoting the airport's development and strengthening its leading role in the Baltic Sea region."

According to the initial plans, the aircraft maintenance hangar will measure around 34.500 square meters and will provide space to handle line and base maintenance for seven A220-300 aircraft at the same time.

Back in 2019, airBaltic received the official certificate to perform full-scale maintenance and base maintenance for the A220-300 aircraft. airBaltic was the first airline with the Base maintenance capability and the second maintenance organization in the world who is entitled to provide a full scope of Base maintenance on A220 fleet.

airBaltic was founded in 1995 and commenced operations in the same year. After the carrier operated with Boeing 737 aircraft for most of the time, the new Airbus A220 has become the backbone of its operations. Currently, the airline is operating with 25 of the aircraft and is serving mainly European destinations.