airBaltic, Latvia’s flagship carrier, has unveiled its 50th Airbus A220-300 at Airbus’ facility in Mirabel, Canada. The milestone was marked by a special event, where the airline and the aircraft manufacturer celebrated the occasion with an exclusive first look at the newly designed jet.

This latest addition to airBaltic’s fleet boasts a one-of-a-kind livery that creatively showcases the Baltic identity. The aircraft features a vibrant artistic interpretation of the Latvian flag, complemented by symbolic elements representing all three Baltic nations—Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. A central highlight of the design is a graceful figure of a young woman soaring among the clouds, her flowing hair adorned with a traditional Latvian wreath while proudly carrying the national flag.

Further enriching the visual storytelling, the livery incorporates distinct motifs inspired by the natural and cultural heritage of the Baltic region, including a ladybug, a swallow, and a stork. To ensure seamless integration with the aircraft’s structural design, airBaltic meticulously refined the final artwork, making necessary adjustments for technical precision.

This specially painted Airbus A220-300 is expected to officially join the airBaltic fleet in February 2025, continuing the airline’s commitment to showcasing Baltic culture on the global stage.

Martin Gauss, President and CEO of airBaltic: “More than eight years ago, we became the global launch
operator of the Airbus A220-300, which has since become the backbone of our operations. This milestone
aircraft represents the completion of our initial order and brings us halfway to our goal of doubling in size
and operating a single-type fleet of 100 A220-300s by 2030.”
“We are glad to be here with our long-standing partner Airbus and stakeholders to celebrate the reveal of
our special milestone aircraft. airBaltic continues to lead the aviation industry in the Baltics, and with this
rich culture in mind, we wanted the livery to reflect a glimpse of all the beauty the three Baltic nations have
to offer. Every time it will take to the skies, it will proudly carry a small part of the Baltic spirit with it,” Gauss added.

Benoît Schultz, CEO of Airbus Canada: “As the first to have received an A220-300 eight years ago,
airBaltic is one of our long-standing customers. We are pleased to celebrate the revealing of their 50 th
A220. We are honoured to continue being the partner of choice of airBaltic as they continue increasing
their A220 fleet.”

In the latter part of 2023, airBaltic initiated a dynamic global design competition, inviting creatives worldwide to contribute ideas for the livery of its landmark 50th Airbus A220-300 aircraft. The contest attracted an impressive 840 submissions, with over 28,000 members of the airBaltic Club loyalty program participating in the voting process. From these entries, 21 standout designs were shortlisted. The top three selections, all of which were acquired by airBaltic, showcased elements of national or Baltic regional heritage. The winning design secured over 30% of the total votes among the shortlisted finalists.

Bringing the chosen livery to life required an extensive painting process that spanned 18 days. A total of 21 distinct colors were meticulously applied, with Airbus A220 paintshop teams in Mirabel, Canada, utilizing an innovative stencil overlay technique for the first time to achieve the intricate layering of shades.

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