airBaltic to Cut Up to 700 Jobs in Chapter 11 Restructuring

airBaltic said Monday it could eliminate 500 to 700 positions across its three Baltic hubs as the airline restructures following a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. The carrier, which employs about 3,000 people in Riga, Latvia; Vilnius, Lithuania; and Tallinn, Estonia, said it has notified Latvia's State Employment Agency of the planned collective redundancies. No final decisions on individual employees have been made, and detailed information will be given to staff during October, it said. The range reflects ongoing consultations with trade unions over reduced-workload arrangements for pilots and cabin crew, with new organizational structures expected by mid-October, President and CEO Erno Hildén said. The restructuring includes shrinking its all-Airbus A220-300 fleet by 60 aircraft by 2031 and expanding year-round ACMI partnerships. The airline sought Chapter 11 protection in New York last month, citing debt, elevated fuel costs and operational disruptions tied to the Iran war. airBaltic said its current flight schedule is unaffected.