AirBaltic is in talks with Airbus to buy 30 more A220 passenger jets by exercising existing contractual options. The airline has already ordered 50 Canadian-developed planes and plans to add 20 new options. The move comes as AirBaltic prepares for an initial public offering (IPO) in late 2024, for which the tentative business plan envisages up to 100 aircraft by 2030.
AirBaltic is the second-largest European customer for the larger of two models of A220, the roughly 130-seat A220-300. AirBaltic would also be interested in an option to convert some of these orders to an even larger version known as the A220-500 if Airbus went ahead with its development.
AirBaltic is among a number of airlines affected by delays in obtaining parts or repairs for the latest generation of engines produced by Pratt & Whitney. It has been forced to rent older jets complete with crews, a process is known as “wet lease”, to help meet the gap. Repair shops have become congested worldwide as the latest engines achieve less time in service between maintenance than originally planned.