Austrian Airlines is set to begin utilizing airBaltic's Airbus A220 aircraft for its flights starting in March 2025. This development follows the Lufthansa Group's announcement in September that it would expand its wet-lease agreement with airBaltic, allowing the Riga-based carrier to provide its aircraft across the airline group's network.
Currently, Lufthansa offers airBaltic-operated flights from Munich during summer, while SWISS operates these flights year-round from Zurich. Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines will also benefit from this collaboration as of the upcoming summer season.
The agreement announced in September includes "up to 21" airBaltic Airbus A220-300 aircraft being deployed on behalf of the Lufthansa Group. Martin Gauss, President and CEO of airBaltic, stated: “Throughout the recent years, airBaltic has earned a reputation as one of the leading premium wet lease providers in Europe. The wet lease business has become a crucial element of the airBaltic growth strategy, complementing our scheduled operations from our existing bases."