airBaltic continues to hire more
professionals

Written by BBN News at 28/01 2010, 01:00 - 0 comments

Commenting the news that Estonian Air had agreed a 30% unpaid leave with its pilots and cabin crew, Janis Vanags, vice president of corporate communications of Latvian national carrier airBaltic, made the following statement:

"After profitable year 2009 and with a positive outlook for 2010, airBaltic is expanding its network of direct routes to Western Europe, Scandinavia, Mediterranean Region, and the CIS, and continues to hire more professionals. airBaltic offers its staff competitive and stable salaries that correspond international standards.For 2009 airBaltic has announced 20 million EUR preliminary profit, and achieved 6% passenger growth to 2.75 million passengers. In 2010, airBaltic will open at least nine new direct routes from Riga, and has so far announced destinations such as Madrid, Belgrade, Vaasa, Umea, Beirut, and Amman. The number of direct routes from Vilnius, announced by airBaltic over the past month, already total 10 – London, Paris, Munich, Berlin, Amsterdam, Rome, Hamburg, Manchester, Dublin, and Oslo." BBN reported on January 26 that Estonian Air has decided to cut the wages of pilots and cabin crew by about a third. According to Estonian Air president Andrus Aljas, the airline had no option but to cut the wages of pilots and cabin crew by 30%. "Because of the economic situation and considerable fall in demand, Estonian Air has decided to reduce the pay of its so-called flying crew during a specified term since we cannot offer full-time employment for three months. In parallel, the employees are entitled to reduce their work time in the comparable volume," said Aljas, adding: "We considered all possible options including laying off staff. However, since the current situation is undoubtedly of temporary nature, a lay-off would not have been justified". Aljas did not specify how much Estonian Air was going to save with the pay cut.

Before the pay cut, a captain of Estonian Air plane received between 50,000 and 60,000 kroons a month and the second pilot between 30,000 and 35,000 kroons a month.

 

BBN news, 27.01.2010.

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