newstodate.aero

Sep 04, 2023 (newstodate): The Latvian carrier airBaltic has now taken delivery of its 43rd Airbus A220-300 aircraft.
   The aircraft landed at Riga Airport on September 2, 2023, as the fourth new Airbus A220-300 delivery in 2023.    
   airBaltic plans to have 50 aircraft of the type in service by the end of 2024, rounding off the existing order while still holding 30 options and purchase rights for the A220 series.
   Besides operating the fleet on its own route network, airBaltic has also landed contracts for wet-leasing one-third of its now 43 Airbus A220-300 aircraft to external customers including SAS, Swiss and Eurowings.
   On the dark side, recurrent problems with the Pratt & Whitney PW1500G turbofan engines powering the Airbus A220-300 aircraft will still need some 18 months before fully solved, according to airBaltic, the second-largest operator of the aircraft after Delta Air Lines.
   Over the past year, the airline has thus seen 11 of its now 43 aircraft on the ground pending deliveries of the components needed to replace the malfunctioning turbofan engine lubrication systems, leading to an in-flight drop in oil pressure.    
   A single-type airline, airBaltic introduced its first Airbus A220-300 aircraft on scheduled flights from December 14, 2016, and has so far carried close to 13 passengers on the Airbus A220-300 aircraft, completing nearly 143,000 flights and operating over 311,000 block hours.