newstodate.aero
Nov 05, 2015 (newstodate): Week 45 will prove to mark a crucial turning point in civil aviation in the Baltic region.
This week, the Latvian state has secured a capital injection into airBaltic by a private investor in conjunction with a similar loan backed by the state securing the sustained development of the carrier including acquisition of new aircraft.
And also this week, Estonians are holding their breath ahead of the announcement by the EU Commission of its verdict on Estonian Air's future after a deep and much-prolonged probe into the legality of earlier state loans.
It is now widely expected that the EU decision will come by the end of this week, which will sign the fate of the Estonian carrier that will be unable to repay the loans if found non-consistent with EU regulations.
Should the outcome prove negative for Estonia, a state-owned shadow carrier is ready to accelerate and take over Estonian Air's immediate flight schedule with leased-in aircraft.
But at the same time, a strengthened airBaltic will now be in a position to increase the volume of direct flights from Estonia and Lithuania as well as between the Baltic capital airports.
The only Baltic market where things have already settled is Lithuania where its latest, and maybe last, effort to set up a national carrier, Air Lituanica, was effectively grounded on May 22, 2015, after having performed it first flight Air Lituanica performed its first commercial flight on June 30, 2013,
This week, the Latvian state has secured a capital injection into airBaltic by a private investor in conjunction with a similar loan backed by the state securing the sustained development of the carrier including acquisition of new aircraft.
And also this week, Estonians are holding their breath ahead of the announcement by the EU Commission of its verdict on Estonian Air's future after a deep and much-prolonged probe into the legality of earlier state loans.
It is now widely expected that the EU decision will come by the end of this week, which will sign the fate of the Estonian carrier that will be unable to repay the loans if found non-consistent with EU regulations.
Should the outcome prove negative for Estonia, a state-owned shadow carrier is ready to accelerate and take over Estonian Air's immediate flight schedule with leased-in aircraft.
But at the same time, a strengthened airBaltic will now be in a position to increase the volume of direct flights from Estonia and Lithuania as well as between the Baltic capital airports.
The only Baltic market where things have already settled is Lithuania where its latest, and maybe last, effort to set up a national carrier, Air Lituanica, was effectively grounded on May 22, 2015, after having performed it first flight Air Lituanica performed its first commercial flight on June 30, 2013,