Latvian Pilots and Cabin Crew Face Selection Day as airBaltic Trims Staff Amid Union Dispute

airBaltic intends to remove about 100 pilot and 200 cabin crew positions, an airline spokesperson said, though the figures are not final and could shift once its employee evaluation is complete. The Latvian Aviation Union says notifications begin on 31 October 2026, when more than 300 pilots and cabin crew learn whether they keep their jobs. The cuts follow a 5 October announcement that 500 to 700 staff could lose their jobs, and sit alongside the carrier's US Chapter 11 filing and a plan to shrink its all-A220-300 fleet from 54 to 36 aircraft by end-2026 before growing to about 40 by 2031. The union says the selection criteria were never provided in writing, that an explanatory email only reached staff on 27 October, and that promotion lists described in September contain non-objective elements. It asked management to pause individual notifications and meet to review the criteria. The union also claims all cabin crew reductions fall on the Riga base while Tallinn and Vilnius are untouched, and that up to 30 Belgrade cabin jobs were filled via a Serbian temporary agency while permanent crew were dismissed. The airline's spokesperson responded that the cuts follow next year's planned flight volume and network, that pilot reductions affect all three bases, and that Riga is overstaffed while Tallinn and Vilnius are understaffed, so some staff may be offered moves. He said the criteria emerged from several rounds of union consultation and combine existing evaluation systems, length of service, qualifications and job performance.