“Over the past three decades, our flights between the two largest cities in the Baltics have provided customers with convenient and reliable travel options for both business and leisure. Vilnius is also one of our home cities and this year we will expand our presence there by launching new direct destinations and increasing frequencies on various existing routes therefore providing our customers with more travel options. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our long-term partners, RIX Riga Airport and Lithuanian Airports, for their continued cooperation and support of airBaltic’s growth.” said Mantas Vrubliauskas, Vice President Network Management at airBaltic.
“Connectivity of the Baltic region has always been one of Riga Airport’s key priorities. For 30 years, airBaltic’s reliable Riga-Vilnius route has significantly contributed to regional mobility and helped build a dynamic air traffic network that ensures convenient and dependable travel for both people and businesses. Riga Airport will continue to strengthen this role by offering Baltic passengers increasingly broad access to essential business, transit, and leisure destinations.” said Laila Odiņa, CEO of RIX Riga Airport.
“Today we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first airBaltic flight on the Vilnius-Riga route. This route opened new opportunities for travelers and businesses, strengthened air connectivity between Lithuania and the entire region, and became an important gateway for integration into the international aviation network. It is especially gratifying that today airBaltic operates daily flights between Vilnius and Riga, as well as between Palanga and Riga, while flights on the Kaunas-Riga route will return in March – bringing Lithuania and Latvia even closer and offering travelers even more convenient onward connections.” said Simonas Bartkus, CEO of Lithuanian Airports.
Currently, airBaltic operates up to four daily flights between Riga and Vilnius, supporting both business and leisure travel, while providing onward connections via Riga to more than 80 destinations across Europe and beyond. The Riga–Vilnius route was the airline’s third direct destination, following the launch of services from Riga to Stockholm and Helsinki in October 1995.
Over the years, the route has been operated with several aircraft types, including the SAAB 340, Avro RJ70, Fokker 50, Dash 8 Q400, and Boeing 737. Today, Riga and Vilnius are connected by the Airbus A220-300 fleet, which is being equipped with free, high-speed Starlink internet.
Since June 2004, airBaltic has maintained a base in Vilnius, currently offering 21 direct destinations across Europe with three Airbus A220-300 aircraft based there. The airline also operates flights from Palanga to Riga and Amsterdam and will launch direct services from Kaunas to Riga this spring. As of this year, airBaltic operates from all three Lithuanian airports.
At the beginning of 2026, airBaltic also marks 30 years of operations on the route between Riga and Tallinn. The first flight between the Latvian and Estonian capitals took place on January 30, 1996, forming a key milestone in the airline’s early network development and strengthening regional connectivity.
“For three decades, our operations between the two capitals have contributed to stronger connectivity for Estonia, supporting both business and leisure travel. Over the years, airBaltic has steadily grown its presence in Tallinn, and today we offer a strong and competitive network of direct routes from the city. As the leading airline in the Baltic region, we remain committed to providing reliable connectivity for our passengers while continuing to explore new opportunities to further strengthen links across the Baltics. We also extend sincere thanks to our long-standing partners, RIX Riga Airport and Tallinn Airport, for their continued cooperation and support in airBaltic’s development.” said Mantas Vrubliauskas.
“The growth of Riga Airport as the leading transit hub in the Baltics is closely linked to the national carrier airBaltic. For 30 years, the Riga–Tallinn route has provided Estonian travellers with convenient access to an extensive network of connections from Riga to business and leisure destinations across Europe and beyond. It also serves as a convenient transit point for passengers wishing to explore the Baltic region.” said Laila Odiņa, Chairman of the Board of RIX Riga Airport.
“From a single route to Riga to nearly 30 direct destinations today, airBaltic has played a key role in strengthening Tallinn Airport’s connectivity over the past 30 years. During this time, 7.6 million passengers have travelled with airBaltic to and from Estonia, reflecting the airline’s importance for our country’s connectivity and mobility. We highly value this long-term partnership and thank airBaltic for the excellent cooperation in connecting Estonia with Europe and beyond.” said Eero Pärgmäe, Member of the Board of Tallinn Airport.
airBaltic currently operates up to five daily flights between Riga and Tallinn, offering flexible travel options and seamless connections via Riga. In 2025 alone, more than 290,000 passengers travelled on the Riga–Tallinn route, while over the past 30 years the airline has operated nearly 68,000 flights and carried more than 3.5 million passengers between the two capitals.
In 2026, airBaltic will connect Tallinn with 29 routes, basing four aircraft at Tallinn Airport and providing direct services to destinations including Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, London, Munich, Paris, Vienna, and Vilnius, among others.
Tags: Laila Odiņa, RIX Riga Airport Eero Pärgmäe, Tallinn Airport Simonas Bartkus, Lithuanian Airports Mantas Vrubliauskas, airBaltic