New Route of the Day (25 April 2024): airBaltic between Riga and Ljubljana

airBaltic inaugurated flights between Riga and Slovenia’s capital of Ljubljana on Thursday 25 April, linking the two cities with a scheduled air service for the very first time. The 1,360-kilometre route will be maintained 2-weekly, on Thursdays and Sundays, with the 148-seat A220-300 aircraft. It faces no competition between the two capitals.

Flight BT477 departs Riga at 11:45 local time, arriving in Ljubljana at 13:00 local time. The return service, operating as flight BT478, takes off from the Slovenian capital at 13:45 local time, touching back down in Latvia at 17:00 local time.

What they said

Thomas Ramdahl, Senior Vice President for Network Management at airBaltic, said: “We are excited to enter this market, launch this new route and connect Ljubljana to the vibrant city of Riga – the home of airBaltic. We are grateful to our partners at Ljubljana Airport for their collaboration and are looking forward to offering the local travellers the opportunity to visit and experience this gem of the Baltics.”

Babett Stapel, the General Manager of airport operator Fraport Slovenija, noted: “The new flight connection will bring Riga and Ljubljana closer together. It is a great addition to our network, and for Slovenians that wish to explore this charming capital of Latvia or take advantage of airBaltic’s network to discover destinations beyond Riga. We are also certain it will be a very convenient option for Latvians that wish to be embraced by the boutique, green, and diverse Slovenia and enjoy in its vivid capital. We are thrilled to welcome airBaltic to Ljubljana Airport.”

Three new airlines launch Ljubljana flights

Ljubljana remains among Europe’s least recovered airports, with the start of the pandemic in 2020 being preceded by the demise of Slovenia’s national airline Adria Airways, which held a capacity share of over 50% at the airport. During Q1 2024, Ljubljana Airport was still 30% below its 2019 passenger levels, handling 257,817 travellers.

The Slovenian government has launched a series of public calls, offering to cover 50% of an airline’s costs at Ljubljana Airport in return for launching flights. This policy has garnered some results, with airBaltic being one of the beneficiaries.

This summer, in addition to airBaltic, Norwegian commences flights between Copenhagen and Ljubljana in April, while Iberia will run a limited summer seasonal service between Madrid and the Slovenian capital starting late July.