AIR BALTIC
-From Latvia to Europe-
Air Baltic is a Latvia airline operating 38 aircraft with 22 Airbus A220-300, 12 Bombardier Q-400 and 4 Boeing 737-300. The Latvian company is mainly operating from Riga to more than 70 destinations, but also fromTallinn and Vilnius. At its beginning, Air Baltic was flying throughout Europe, but recently decided to expand its network with "long-haul" destinations like Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates from 2017, operated with the Airbus A220-300 that we will present you today. Initially introduced as the Bombardier CSeries, Airbus joined the project to up to 50% to renew its short/medium-haul market. The Airbus A220 can operate 120 to 160 seats just like the Airbus A318/A319 and Boeing 737-700(MAX) which today suffers from flying restrictions following accidents due to MCAS default. During the Paris Air Show 2019, Airbus and Air Baltic invited us to discover the Latvian flagship. So now, take your seat back, relax and enjoy your reading.
FIRST IMPRESSION
The first impression while touring the aircraft is pretty simple, a sober livery for a beautiful machine which makes the success of Air Baltic for over 3 years now. The airline is operating the A223 from its regional flights to its long-haul operations such as Baku, Almaty or Abu Dhabi, the longest commercial duty operated by an Airbus A220. The fuel efficiency of the aircraft is one of its main asset.
CABIN REVIEW
Air Baltic's Airbus A220-300 is offering 145 seats, with 3 seats in Business Class and 142 in Economy configured in a 2-3 front seat row. The large windows - 50% size increase compared to the A320 - offer a very luminous cabin added to these grey and beige seats. These colors are a very pleasant and comfortable addition to the mood light that changes depending on the hour, the destination and many other details to minimize tiredness. Added to this, the Airbus A220 is offering an in-flight altitude of 37.000 feet and in-flight WiFi combined with a reduced noise level as its best, making it the quietest aircraft of its category.
The Business class is set up with the central seat neutralized on the first 3 seat rows and with an upscale service with international press and premium meal catering. In addition to this, the Business Class service offers all the main commodities such as priority boarding, lounge access, welcome drinks, extra bags, unlimited drinks and quick aircraft leaving as you are seated on the first row.
At a time where all the airlines are making their best efforts to get the cheapest class service possible, the Latvian airline is offering a 13-inch pitch which is offering a very large space even for a 1,85m person.
Moreover, the 2-3 front seat configuration is offering a high comfort service to the cabin crew, with a large central aisle where a trolley and passengers can simultaneously go through the cabin without any discomfort.
This is significant considering that nowadays these aircraft are used for longer-distance flights, such as Air Baltic does by connecting Riga to Abu Dhabi in 6 hours.
The A220 offers a highly appealing compromise in the competitive short and medium-haul sector. With a capacity equivalent to the A319, but with a higher level of comfort.
At the back of the cabin, Air Baltic is offering large spaces for lavatories
But also for cabin crew, large and ergonomic trolley storage.
COCKPIT
In the cockpit, the Airbus A220 while not being built by the European manufacturer, is in harmony with the brand's philosophy as it features the fly-by-wire system, a side-stick and a cockpit layout similar to other aircraft of the Airbus family.
Overall, the Latvian Company seems to offer a pretty strong product on the eastern European market. A modern aircraft with a rather young and ambitious company make the success of the Riga based operator. We would like to thanks Air Baltic for their cooperation during this airshow .
- Thank you dear readers for your attention -