250 "temporary" job losses were announced on Tuesday with 100 more confirmed on Wednesday, but in the interview Gauss went even further suggesting 400 jobs or more could go - representing around one quarter of the 1,600-strong workforce.
airBaltic will cancel 3,700 flights in the next three months and close 23 of the 100 routes, Gauss said.
The drastic impact of the coronavirus on international travel made such measures necessary to ensure the company's financial stability, he said.
"This is a temporary measure. This is during the crisis. We need to be ready [for] after the crisis," Gauss insisted. As and when the current crisis is over workers could expect to get their jobs back, he said.