AirBaltic cancels direct flights between Hamburg and Tallinn

AirBaltic has announced the termination of its direct flight connection between Hamburg and Tallinn, effective after the final nonstop flight on October 21, 2026. Travelers will subsequently be required to transit through Riga to reach the Estonian capital.

The decision is driven by significant financial difficulties facing the Latvian airline. AirBaltic reported in mid-August that it requires 225 million euros in interim financing. As part of a revised business plan, the company intends to downsize its fleet from 54 aircraft to 36, abandoning previous growth targets that aimed for 100 planes.

The Hamburg-Tallinn route, which only commenced in March 2026, marks the third attempt to establish a direct link between the two cities. Previous efforts by the Estonian airline Marabu in 2023 failed due to technical issues during testing. While AirBaltic scales back, other carriers such as Wizz Air have been expanding their operations at Hamburg Airport.