Latvia's Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs demands airBaltic business plan, cites need for state funding

Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs said Latvia’s national carrier airBaltic cannot continue operating without additional state financing. He warned that the airline’s ambitious targets – a fleet of 100 aircraft and 10 million passengers a year – appear insufficiently examined and financially unsustainable.

Kulbergs instructed Transport Minister Rihards Kozlovskis to deliver airBaltic’s business plan later this month so the government can assess its long‑term viability before deciding on further support. While acknowledging the airline’s strategic importance for Latvia, the prime minister emphasized that this does not justify unlimited public subsidies.