Airport, Employment, Latvia, Lithuania, Transport

Layoffs are also planned by other Vilnius and Kaunas enterprises: Baltic Ground Services, Vilniaus Ventos puslaidininkiai, Panemunes butu ukis, Santakos butu ukis, Vanesa; overall, 420 workers will be made redundant.

airBaltic Vice President Janis Vanags informed LETA that the airline would indeed release 112 employees.

Before making the decision, airBaltic consulted the Lithuanian trade unions, it has made all the necessary compensation payments, said Vanags.

According to Vanags, the decision was made because of the economic crisis in Lithuania and its impact on the aviation business in Lithuania.

airBaltic President Bertolt Flick earlier told LETA that airBaltic had already expected a significant decrease in the Vilnius Airport passenger turnover this year, and reduced the number of flights to Vilnius.

Furthermore, the services of the Vilnius Airport are one of the most expensive in Europe, which also does not contribute to the development of aviation business in Lithuania.

airBaltic will keep abreast of the developments in Vilnius, and if the situation in Vilnius improves airBaltic could expand the operations in Vilnius again, said Flick. It might happen sooner if the Vilnius Airport lowered the prices for its services.