Latvian airline, airBaltic, commenced its round-trip flights connecting iGA Istanbul Airport and Riga International Airport on Sunday, April 2nd. It has been announced that flights between Istanbul and Riga will commence four times a week, using Airbus A220-300-type aircraft. A reception was held at iGA Istanbul Airport to welcome airBaltic's inaugural flight. Jevgenij Kozyrev, Sales Manager at airBaltic, attended the welcome reception to represent the company.

Direct flights between iGA Istanbul Airport and Riga International Airport are expected to take approximately three hours. With its headquarters at Riga International Airport, airBaltic offers connections from Riga, Tallinn, Vilnius, and Tampere to multiple destinations across the airline's extensive route network in Europe, Scandinavia, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the Middle East, serving over 70 destinations.

airBaltic CEO and President, Martin Gauss, expressed, "We are delighted to announce the official commencement of this year's summer season and the launch of direct flights connecting the beautiful city of Istanbul to our headquarters in Riga. We hope that this new route will encourage local travelers in Türkiye to visit our home in the Baltic States, explore Riga's rich history, and experience the vibrant art."