Ryanair seeks to double traffic in Baltic region

Ryanair said today it plans to double passenger numbers in the Baltic region over the next five years, seeking to capitalise on airBaltic's retrenchment and bankruptcy protection filing.

The plans by Europe's largest airline by passenger numbers come days after the Latvian carrier became the first European airline to file for bankruptcy as a result of fallout from the Iran conflict.

Ryanair said it aims to provide 11 million annual seats across Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania by 2031 and base 16 aircraft in the region, up from seven currently.

"This proposal is even more important following airBaltic's announcement that it will shrink its fleet by one-third," Ryanair's chief commercial officer Jason McGuinness said in a statement.