airBaltic Axes Routes Over Grounded A220s

airBaltic will be forced to cancel a staggering 4,670 flights across the upcoming summer 2025 schedule from all of its bases.

The measures being taken are part of a response to ongoing groundings hitting the Airbus A220 fleet, stemming from Pratt & Whitney engine maintenance delays.

The Pratt & Whitney engine crisis has been well documented; however, airBaltic, an all-Airbus operator, has recently been a more heavily affected company.

Those heavy effects have translated to an inability to serve the markets it would ideally like, forcing it to operate at a reduced rate.

The airline’s latest announcement will see staggering changes to its route network during the summer, typically the busiest and arguably most profitable time of the year.

Thanks to an inability to maintain engines on time and the uncertainty around fixes having solutions, the airline will cancel over 4,000 flights, but this will be done with 19 routes being axed during these months.

The route adjustments will not just stop at cancellation with airBaltic; it will also be forced to reduce the frequency rates of existing services on 21 different markets to try and cope.

However, despite these challenges, the company remains committed to still trying to find ways to operate a robust schedule even at a reduced rate, with over 70 destinations to be offered not just across Europe but beyond.

While the airline profoundly apologises for the impact this will have, it’s aware that the situation largely remains out of control thanks to external factors spurred on by the global supply chain and maintenance constraints at Pratt & Whitney.

An airBaltic Airbus A220 – Photo: Kārlis Dambrāns

Moreover, airBaltic is not the only airline that has faced something similar, with many others also struggling to operate a robust schedule because of the many effects that have been felt. Cancellations have been relatively common, with some companies turning to the leasing market as a means to cope as a last resort.