The Latvian national carrier, airBaltic confirmed on Wednesday 14th June that it will open a winter base in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria later this year.

The airline has said it will base two Airbus A220-300 aircraft at the Gran Canaria Airport for the winter season which will serve 10 direct routes. The action of basing two planes in Las Palmas demonstrates airBaltic's strategy to optimize crew rotation efficiency and maximize aircraft utilization, being able to assign them on routes through the airline’s already existing bases and served cities. 

The decision to open a seasonal base at Las Palmas will have no impact on airBaltic's winter schedule, plans or overall operations from Riga, Tallinn, Vilnius, and Tampere, the airline confirmed on Wednesday. The new base will also complement airBaltic's current services to the Canary Islands, with direct flights to Tenerife from its four main bases during the upcoming winter season.

Martin Gauss, President and CEO airBaltic: “When preparing for the upcoming season, we always carefully analyze the market dynamics. For winter months, when the overall passenger demand worldwide is traditionally lower, we have identified an opportunity to optimize our capacity to be as efficient as possible – by establishing a seasonal base and operating two aircraft from Las Palmas to serve the demand for sunny and leisure destinations. Such expanded presence in Gran Canaria not only enhances connectivity, but also provides passengers with a wide range of convenient travel options.”