airBaltic plans to reduce its flight-crew workforce by around 100 pilots and 200 cabin crew, according to Latvian public broadcaster LSM’s October 28 report. Airline spokesman Augusts Zilberts confirmed the approximate figures to LSM after the Latvian Aviation Trade Union (LAA) publicised them.
What the crew figures cover
The LAA said the cabin-crew reductions would be concentrated at Riga. Its estimates exclude employees who have already left voluntarily.
LETA reporting published by BNN on October 28 says, citing the union, that staff would begin learning whether they would retain their jobs from Saturday, October 31. These are planned reductions and a notification timetable, not confirmation that 300 people have already left.
Selection process: union concerns and the airline’s reply
LSM reports that LAA has challenged the selection process. In its response to the broadcaster, airBaltic said it had considered the union’s concerns and that differing views did not mean consultation had not occurred. The airline described its approach as a compromise between proposals and operational needs. This report does not determine whether the process meets legal requirements.
How this relates to the earlier workforce plan
In its earlier October workforce statement, airBaltic estimated that changes could affect 500–700 positions across Riga, Vilnius and Tallinn, with numbers subject to change. That wider planning range covered more than flight crew.
The roughly 300 crew positions should not be added to that range to produce a new total. The figures describe different scopes and stages of the process.
A staffing announcement alone does not establish that a particular flight has been cancelled. Travellers should check their own booking and current airline messages for flight-specific information.
More: Latvia aviation coverage.
