It is worrying for airBaltic passengers that shortly before the flight they are regularly informed that the upcoming flight will be operated by a partner aircraft.
Augusts Zilberts, Public Relations Manager at airBaltic Corporation, explained that the problem was related to engine maintenance.
"This was caused by the Ukrainian war and also after the pandemic when suppliers of certain technical raw materials and supplies started to delay their deliveries to the repair plants, which means that engine maintenance deadlines at the repair plants are also getting longer," Zilberts said.
In order to have the engines serviced, they have to be removed from the wing and shipped to the US. There are only two options in this situation: either cancel the flights or lease another aircraft for the short term.
The airBaltic spokesman said that last year in the summer season, leased aircraft were used in about 16% of cases, while this year in the summer season the national carrier has operated about 13% of its flights with leased aircraft.
The summer season in aviation runs from the beginning of April to the end of October, and this year a total of nine aircraft were leased during this period, of which two Carpatair aircraft and occasionally aircraft from other companies flew throughout the summer. airBaltic explained that it tries to plan so that at least one flight attendant is an airBaltic employee, but the pilots are from the respective leasing airline.
airBaltic currently has 48 aircraft in its fleet. The plan is to double this number over the next five years. 4. studija asked – maybe the company, well aware that it does not have enough aircraft to cover all the flights, should not market so many flights.
airBaltic believes that the engine service issue that came suddenly can just as suddenly end, so it is not smart from a business strategy point of view to remove flights.
"The particular aircraft model that we are very used to and that we also advertise a lot - these new planes - it's that extra something. If you fly on other airlines, do you really ask yourself that question - what aircraft will be waiting for me? And is that going to be the main criterion why you choose to fly with another operator?" Zilberts said.
However, reading the passenger comment on social media, it is quite clear that the plane matters.
But can passengers who are disappointed that they are not flying on an airBaltic plane, but on a chartered one with, for example, less legroom or taller people having to sit with their heads down the whole way, apply to the Consumer Rights Protection Centre (PTAC) for a partial refund?
PTAC spokesperson Sanita Gertmane explained that the air regulations do not provide for a right to compensation: "It is always stressed that the most important thing is that, whatever the means, the consumer is delivered on time, safely and to the intended destination, and these are the three most important things that the airline must also do."
"Of course, if the consumer is really very disappointed, then they can always approach the merchant, the company, and express that dissatisfaction so that the company, the airline, knows that consumers are not happy with it, that it is not a consumer-friendly practice, and then address the problem in the long term," Gertmane advised.
