airBaltic Implements New Boarding Process to Streamline Flights

Latvia’s national airline, airBaltic, is set to introduce a new, structured boarding process based on passenger groups, effective this year from October 6. This strategic change aims to significantly reduce gate congestion and ensure a smoother, more relaxed start to the flight experience for all passengers.

Under the new system, each passenger's boarding group will be clearly indicated on their boarding pass. Passengers will be invited to board the aircraft only when their specific group is called.

The Boarding Sequence:

The process will begin with the "Early Boarding" group, which is reserved for passengers requiring special assistance, unaccompanied minors, and families traveling with children.

Following this, the main groups will board in a tiered system:

• Group 1: Business Class passengers, members of the airBaltic VIP Club, and Executive members.

• Group 2: Passengers holding Economy Flex tickets, corporate clients, business travelers, and those who have paid for heavy cabin baggage.

• Groups 3 to 5: These groups will board subsequently, with the order determined based on the passengers' assigned seat locations.

airBaltic emphasizes that the primary goal of this new group boarding system is to alleviate crowding at the boarding gates and facilitate a calmer, more efficient start to the journey.

Corporate and Financial Context:

The new boarding procedure comes as airBaltic continues its operational growth and financial restructuring. In 2024, the airline transported a total of 5.2 million passengers, marking a 13% increase from the previous year, and operated 47,000 flights, a 7% year-over-year rise.

Financially, airBaltic saw a significant multi-fold reduction in losses during the first half of this year, down to €1.729 million, while the group's turnover increased by 3% to €349.648 million. This follows audited losses of €118.159 million in 2024, compared to a profit the year before, despite a robust 11.9% increase in consolidated turnover to €747.572 million compared to 2023.

A significant development occurred at the end of August this year when the German national airline, Lufthansa, officially became a shareholder in airBaltic. The current ownership structure is: Latvia holds 88.37%, Lufthansa holds 10%, Danish entrepreneur Lars Thuesen (via financial investor Aircraft Leasing 1) holds 1.62%, and other parties hold 0.01%. The company's share capital stands at €41.819 million.

Lufthansa’s final equity stake post-IPO will be determined by the potential market price of the Initial Public Offering. The agreement stipulates that Lufthansa will retain at least a 5% stake in airBaltic following the potential IPO.

The Latvian government agreed on August 30, 2024, that the state must retain a minimum of 25% plus one share in airBaltic’s capital after the IPO. Furthermore, on August 19, the government decided that Latvia and German’s Lufthansa would jointly contribute €14 million to airBaltic ahead of the potential public listing.

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