Latvian carrier airBaltic operated more than 110 charter routings across at least 35 countries in the first nine months of 2026. The airline served more than 100 airports using its Airbus A220-300 fleet, with assignments reaching the Arctic Circle, the Red Sea, the Faroe Islands and the Caucasus.
The flights served tour operators, sports teams and corporate groups, as well as customers with short-notice travel requirements. The figures describe the geographical reach of the charter business. Passenger volumes and revenue would give a fuller picture of how much the activity contributed to the airline over the period.
Tour Operators Can Match Flights to Resort Stays
A charter lets a tour operator arrange aircraft capacity around the dates of a holiday programme. That can be useful when a resort attracts visitors during a limited season or when scheduled flights leave a group with an awkward connection. The organiser can plan the arrival alongside hotel check-in, coach transfers and the start of an itinerary.
For holidaymakers, the booking usually begins with the company running the trip. airBaltic’s whole-aircraft charter service takes requests for an entire flight, while tour operators can make seats available as part of their own programmes. A destination served on a previous assignment may appear again only if an organiser commissions another flight.
Sports and corporate customers use the service differently. A team may need to move players, staff and equipment together around a fixture. An event organiser may want a departure that gives delegates enough time to reach a conference venue. In each case, the charter’s value comes from fitting the flight around the group’s schedule.
Non-Scheduled Flying Takes a Larger Summer Share
European Union airports recorded around 6.9 million commercial flights in 2025, up 3.8% from 2024. Non-scheduled services accounted for 8.5% of the annual total. Their share rose to 11.2% in June, 12.3% in July and 11.4% in August.
Those figures include charters and other non-scheduled commercial operations across the EU. They show how the mix of flights changes during the summer. For holiday companies, that is when a dedicated aircraft can help align a concentrated period of travel demand with the accommodation and ground services they have arranged.
One Aircraft Type Serves Several Markets
airBaltic uses the Airbus A220-300 across its scheduled and charter operations. A common aircraft type allows the airline to draw on existing crew training, maintenance planning and spare-parts arrangements when it takes on a charter.
The aircraft also supports airBaltic’s wet-lease business. Under an arrangement known as ACMI, the carrier supplies an aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance to another airline. The partner airline uses that capacity in its own schedule and generally sells the tickets. A charter, by comparison, is commissioned around a particular journey or series of journeys for an organiser.
That difference can matter at booking. A passenger on a partner airline’s service may fly aboard an airBaltic aircraft, while a traveller on a holiday charter may receive the flight details from a tour operator. The booking confirmation identifies who handles changes and questions about the itinerary.
Partner Commitments Shape Aircraft Availability in 2027
airBaltic is preparing to operate a fleet of 36 aircraft in 2027. Under its longer-term agreement with Lufthansa Group, it expects to provide up to six aircraft with crews in summer and four in winter. Its plans with Air Serbia call for four aircraft in summer and two in winter.
Those commitments sit alongside airBaltic’s own scheduled flights and the aircraft it can assign to charters. An organiser looking for a particular departure date needs to confirm that an aircraft and crew are available and that both airports can handle the flight at the requested times.
For travellers considering a charter holiday, the useful details are the departure airport, the dates the organiser has secured and what the trip includes after landing. The first nine months of 2026 show how widely airBaltic can deploy its fleet. The options an individual passenger can book will depend on the holiday programmes and group itineraries that go on sale.
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