Due to fleet reductions, airBaltic will have to adjust its workforce to align with its new business plan. The Baltic airline announced on October 5 that it was considering cutting between 500 and 700 jobs at its three hubs (Riga, Vilnius, and Tallinn), representing between 16.5% and 23% of its workforce, which currently stands at around 3,000 people.

This decision was made as part of the airline’s restructuring plan; the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection under U.S. law on September 14. The company emphasizes that the details of this workforce reduction still need to be finalized and that consultations are underway with labor unions to determine the most appropriate measures. A reduction in flight crew workloads is being considered, as well as the implementation of new organizational structures throughout the rest of the company.

As a reminder, airBaltic’s restructuring plan is expected to include, in particular, a reduction of the Airbus A220-300 fleet to 36 aircraft by the end of the year, down from 54 this summer, and an increase in ACMI operations to reduce the business’s exposure to seasonality.