On October 1, 1995, airBaltic took to the skies for the first time. airBaltic Flight 101, operated by a Saab 340 turboprop, took off from the carrier’s hub at Riga International Airport (RIX) bound for Stockholm. Now, the carrier is on the hunt for passengers from that flight.
airBaltic is Turning 30 This Year
With the 30th anniversary of the airline later this year, airBaltic is looking for passengers from its inaugural flight. The company has put the call out on social media asking people to reach out if they, or someone they know, was on the first flight.
Presumably the airline is looking for a passenger or passengers from the flight to take part in the 30th anniversary celebrations but it is being tight lipped about what all that may entail. The current CEO of airBaltic, Pauls Cālītis, who stepped into the role after longtime CEO Martin Gauss was ousted, began his career at the airline as a pilot when it was in its infancy.
The airline certainly has quite the story to tell, the Latvian flag carrier has expanded from Riga with additional hubs in Tallin (Estonia), Vilnus (Lithuania), and Tampere (Finland). The airline operates an all Airbus A220 fleet with service to almost 90 destinations across Europe. Earlier this year, Lufthansa Group announced that it was taking a 10% stake in the airline.
Summary
As it prepares for its 30th anniversary, airBaltic is on the hunt for passengers from its first flight back in 1995. While it is unclear what exactly they are planning, I’m sure those passengers will be involved in the passengers in some way.