Aviation History
Latvia's first airline, Latvijas Gaisa Satiksme, flew briefly in the 1920s before Soviet occupation absorbed the country's aviation into Aeroflot for five decades. After independence in 1991, the short-lived state carrier Latavio (1992–1996) gave way to airBaltic, founded in 1995 as a joint venture between the Latvian government and Scandinavian Airlines, which remains the country's flag carrier and a launch operator of the Airbus A220. Riga Airport has grown into the largest and busiest hub in the Baltic states since Latvia's 2004 EU and NATO accession.
Latvijas Gaisa Satiksme, a Latvian-German joint venture backed by Junkers, began flying between Riga, Tallinn, Kaunas and Königsberg.
After losing government subsidies in 1925, the pioneering carrier was wound down, ending Latvia's first independent airline venture.
Soviet occupation placed Latvian civil aviation under the USSR's Aeroflot system for the next five decades.
A new, larger Riga Airport opened as a Soviet-era replacement for the older Spilve Airport.
Latvia restored its independence, paving the way for a rebuilt national aviation sector.
Latavio, formed from Aeroflot's former Latvian branch, briefly served as the country's post-Soviet flag carrier before a failed privatization led to its 1996 shutdown.
airBaltic was established on 28 August 1995 as a joint venture between the Latvian government and Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), with flights beginning 1 October.
Latvia joined the EU and NATO, integrating Riga Airport into the EU single aviation market and accelerating its growth as a regional hub.
airBaltic took delivery of its first Bombardier CS300 (later rebranded Airbus A220), moving toward an all-A220 fleet strategy.
airBaltic · Latavio (1992–1996, defunct) · SmartLynx Airlines
Wikipedia, airBaltic corporate history, Riga Airport historical records