airBaltic Celebrates Arrival of its 50th Airbus A220-300
The Latvian national airline, airBaltic, has reached a significant milestone with the arrival of its 50th Airbus A220-300 at Riga Airport. The welcoming ceremony featured an impressive low-altitude flight and gathered around 200 attendees, including employees, partners, media representatives, government officials, and the Canadian Ambassador to Latvia.
A Design that Celebrates Baltic Identity
This new Airbus A220-300 (registration YL-ABX) stands out with a special livery inspired by the Latvian flag, featuring design elements that represent the three Baltic States: Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. The artwork depicts a young woman soaring through the skies, her hair adorned with a traditional crown, proudly holding the Latvian flag. Additionally, it incorporates symbols of the region’s rich heritage and nature, such as a ladybug, a swallow, and a stork.
Martin Gauss, President and CEO of airBaltic, highlighted the importance of this milestone: “Eight years ago, we became the global launch operator of the Airbus A220-300, an aircraft that has transformed our operations. With the arrival of our 50th aircraft, we have completed our initial order and are halfway to achieving our goal of a unified fleet of 100 aircraft by 2030.”
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Furthermore, Gauss emphasized airBaltic’s role as a symbol of Baltic aviation and its commitment to efficiency and innovation. The airline, headquartered at RIX Riga Airport, solidifies its position as the gateway of the Baltics to the world.
A Contest for History
In late 2023, the airline launched a global contest to design the livery for its 50th aircraft. The call received 840 submissions, and after a vote by more than 28,000 members of the airBaltic Club loyalty program, 21 finalist designs were selected. The winning design, which received over 30% of the votes, was subsequently technically adapted by airBaltic.
The painting process for the A220-300 took 18 days and involved the use of 21 distinct colors. For the first time, the painting teams at Airbus in Mirabel, Canada, employed a layered stencil technique for color application.
airBaltic and Airbus A220-300: A Successful Relationship
Since airBaltic became the launch operator of the Airbus A220-300 in 2016, the airline has based its entire operation on this model since May 2020. To date, the company has transported over 20 million passengers on these aircraft, completing more than 200,000 flights and accumulating nearly 450,000 flight hours.
The new Airbus A220-300 with the special livery will officially join the airBaltic fleet this February, continuing the airline’s expansion and reaffirming its position as the leading operator in the Baltic region.
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