Martin Gauss, CEO of airBaltic said: “Over the last days we have seen a significant reduction in short-term forward bookings for the Milan destination and therefore a decision has been taken by airBaltic to reduce the amount of flights.”
“Even though short-term demand for travel to Milan and Verona has decreased, we see that the interest for travel to Italy, especially for the summer months, remains high. In the summer season, airBaltic plans to relaunch its seasonal flights to Catania, Olbia and Venice,” Gauss added.
Between March 23 and May 31, 2020, airBaltic will continue to offer two weekly flights from Riga to Milan. Passengers who already have bookings for the affected flights to Milan from March 23 until May 31 will be rebooked on other flights. In addition, the passengers will be offered the chance to rebook their affected reservations free of charge to another airBaltic destination in the vicinity – Zurich, Geneva, Munich or Vienna instead of Milan.
Until March 23, airBaltic currently plans to continue operating flights from Riga to Milan and Verona according to the planned schedule.
"We encourage passengers to follow the recommendations issued by health institutions and regularly wash their hands as well as follow other basic hygiene principles. According to World Health Organization, there is very little risk of any communicable disease being transmitted on board an aircraft. To further decrease the risk, organization encourages travellers who are unwell to delay their journey until they have recovered," a company statement said.
The move comes in the wake of a serious outbreak of COVID-19 coronavirus in parts of northern Italy.
