The Latvian airline airBaltic will operate the route Innsbruck – Riga for the first time, with flights every Sunday from 22 December 2024 to 23 March 2025. A modern Airbus A220-300 will be used on this route – an aircraft type that has not previously operated at Innsbruck Airport.
With airBaltic, another new airline partner is launching a new route at Innsbruck Airport in the upcoming winter season. The Latvian carrier is adding a non-stop connection between Innsbruck and Riga to its flight programme for the first time. The flight time between Tyrol and Latvia is approximately 2.5 hours. From its home base in Riga, airBaltic offers flights to more than 70 destinations across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the Caucasus region.
airBaltic operates an all-Airbus A220-300 fleet, with each aircraft offering 148 seats. With a total of 47 aircraft, the fleet is among the youngest in Europe.
Riga, the capital of Latvia, is home to around 600,000 inhabitants and is the largest city in the Baltic States. In recent years, Riga has increasingly established itself as a trendy city break destination.The new route represents an attractive addition to Innsbruck Airport’s winter flight programme 2024/25, appealing both to city travellers and to guests from Latvia visiting Tyrol.
Reactions from politics, business and tourism to the new flight connection
“The new flight connection between Innsbruck and Riga is not only an enhancement of Innsbruck Airport’s route network, but above all a significant benefit for Tyrolean tourism and the regional economy. The connection not only enables winter sports enthusiasts from Riga to travel comfortably to Tyrol, but also opens up new opportunities for people from Tyrol to explore the Latvian capital. In addition, it helps to further strengthen economic relations between Tyrol and Latvia,” emphasises Mario Gerber, Tyrolean Provincial Councillor for Tourism and Economic Affairs.
Mayor Johannes Anzengruber welcomes the future winter connection to the Baltic region on behalf of the City of Innsbruck:
“The new connection to Riga is particularly attractive for winter sports tourism. Alongside the rapidly growing Polish market, the Baltic source markets are also of great interest for city tourism and the ski areas close to Innsbruck. Direct scheduled services enhance Innsbruck Airport’s flight offering and at the same time bring new travel destinations closer to local passengers, both in summer and winter.”
Barbara Plattner, Managing Director of Innsbruck Tourism, also welcomes the announcement of the new route:
“Every new direct connection to Innsbruck creates opportunities – and this one is no exception. Latvia’s capital Riga is the largest metropolis in the Baltic region and is considered an important economic and logistics hub. A catchment area of more than one million inhabitants will be directly connected to the Innsbruck region. Here, we can stand out with our unique combination of skiing and city experiences.”
Finally, airBaltic also commented on the new service. Thomas Ramdahl, Senior Vice President Network Management at airBaltic, said:
“We are pleased to expand airBaltic’s presence in Austria. The launch of this new route creates a connection between Innsbruck and the vibrant city of Riga, airBaltic’s home base. We are very grateful to our partners at Innsbruck Airport for their cooperation and look forward to offering travellers the opportunity to experience this jewel of the Baltic region.”
The flights to / from Riga (RIX) in detail:
BT 284 from Innsbruck 08:35 to Riga 12:00 SUN
BT 283 from Riga 06:20 to Innsbruck 07:45 SUN
The weekly flights will operate every Sunday between 22 December 2024 and 23 March 2025. When booking their flight, passengers can choose between Economy Class (from €89) and Business Class (from €269).
Tickets can be booked at Flights to the Baltics, Scandinavia and Europe | airBaltic as well as through all standard sales channels.
About airBaltic
airBaltic (Air Baltic Corporation AS) is a joint-stock company founded in 1995. Its main shareholder is the Latvian state, which holds 97.97% of the shares, while the remaining 2.03% are held by other shareholders. airBaltic offers connections to more than 70 destinations across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the Caucasus region. Over the past 28 years, airBaltic has developed into a strong and internationally recognised airline, employing more than 2,500 people. The airBaltic fleet consists of 47 Airbus A220-300 aircraft, making it one of the youngest fleets in Europe.
The airline has received numerous international awards for operational excellence, innovative services and outstanding achievements. Skytrax has named airBaltic the Best Airline in its Region for three consecutive years. In addition, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) awarded airBaltic the Diversity and Inclusion Team Award in 2022. In 2023, the airline received the APEX Passenger Choice Award for Best Cabin Service in Europe. Furthermore, in 2024 airBaltic was honoured with the PROS AI Innovator Award for its use of artificial intelligence to achieve transformative results and optimise operations.
Image credit: airBaltic