With two weekly flights to Marrakesh, Morocco, Latvia’s airBaltic has launched its first-ever scheduled service to the continent of Africa.
When it begins operations on October 31, 2022, airBaltic intends to use its fleet of Airbus A220-300 aircraft to fly the route from its hub in Riga during the fall and winter of 2022–2023.
In a press release from June 2022, the airline initially revealed its intentions to begin offering scheduled trips to Marrakesh.
“We are delighted to announce the first scheduled route to Africa. We are the leading airline company in the Baltic States, we continue to expand our network and add more interesting leisure destinations for the winter season,” Martin Gauss, CEO of airBaltic said in the statement.
The airline favors Marrakesh as a “popular foreign tourist attraction in Morocco.”
AirBaltic is the only airline that flies between Riga and Marrakesh, but it joins several mainstream and budget airlines that also fly to the Moroccan city, including Ryanair, Wizz Air, EasyJet, Eurowings, Vueling Airlines, Air France, Lufthansa (LHAB), Iberia British Airways, and TAP Air Portugal.
The Latvian state owns the majority of shares in airBaltic, which was founded in 1995, with 97.97% of the total. The airline’s operation model blends elements of low-cost carriers and conventional airlines.
AirBaltic, which has its headquarters in Riga, Latvia, is now the biggest user of the Airbus A220-300 in the world.
The airline anticipates having 50 A220-300s in total by 2024. Additionally, airBaltic has the option to buy an additional 30 A220-300 aircraft.
