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Latvia
LATVIA EMBRACES INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY TO TRANSFORM CIVIL AVIATION
The Latvian airline airBaltic continues to lead the way in aviation innovation, becoming the first airline to implement AI Beams for analyzing safety reporting and the first in Europe to offer Starlink's high-speed internet onboard. With these groundbreaking advancements, airBaltic is setting a new standard for safety, connectivity, and passenger experience, ensuring a smarter and more seamless journey for every traveller.
airBaltic has officially become the first European airline to introduce SpaceX’s Starlink high-speed internet for free onboard its Airbus A220-300 fleet. airBaltic has commenced Starlink installation across its fleet and expects to complete the full fleet integration by the end of 2025. With certification granted by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), this milestone marks a new era of seamless in-flight connectivity for passengers across the airline’s network.
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Starlink is being used by so many people, businesses and organizations in more than 120 countries, territories, and other markets around the world, spanning all 7 continents and oceans. The number of people using Starlink has grown to millions and counting. Serving commercial aircraft since last year, Starlink provides ultra-fast speeds and low latency by utilizing satellites in low-Earth orbit, positioned over 65 times closer than traditional geostationary satellites.
Safety Management Systems (SMS) play crucial role in aviation safety.
airBaltic and Beams, a leading safety intelligence company, have entered a partnership to provide artificial intelligence (AI) for analyzing safety reports.
The safety team at airBaltic will be utilizing the Beams AI to automatically detect hazards in safety reports and classify them based on their severity and urgency. By using Beams AI, the analysis time will be reduced by over 70% and it will also provide new safety insights to prevent future risks.​​​
Latvian production organization AM Craft is the EMEA region's largest EASA Form 1 certified additives manufacturer.
With over 10 years of experience and over 60 printers in its network, the expertise of the team coupled with the capacity of the facilities offers top-grade engineering solutions for timely, and cost-effective small-batch aircraft interior manufacturing requirements. AM Craft produces and delivers high quality polymer components and subassemblies for aircraft interiors and other aviation applications. AM Craft uses additive manufacturing technology to produce plastic components for aircrafts with volumes from one to several thousands. This allows AM Craft customers to utilize additive manufacturing for component manufacturing without the expensive investments in tooling.Founded in 2018, AM Craft was established to create a new state of the art additive manufacturing (AM) facility capable of servicing clients from highly certified industries like aerospace. At the end of 2021 the company finished its new production facility with an automated line for serial manufacturing using industrial 3D printers. This facility is based on Stratasys GmbH manufacturing systems, which are the largest industrial 3D printers using FDM technology and capable of working with high performance materials that are flame retardant and certified for aerospace applications.
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The Civil Aviation Agency of Latvia also continues to modernize and digitize the services it offers.
CAA has launched Unmanned Aircraft Information System (BGKIS) that provides users with the opportunity to more conveniently and efficiently organize flight application and coordination in electronic format in the geographical areas of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Thus, a transparent system is provided, which helps to reduce the risks caused by unauthorized drone flights in the airspace of the Republic of Latvia, especially near airports.
By implementing this solution, CAA continues to modernize and digitize the services it offers, providing convenient check-in, online training, as well as flight application processing. It promotes cooperation with customers and promotes effective data exchange with other authorities, thereby improving flight safety. At the same time, improving the exchange of information between the CAA and law enforcement and defence authorities, ensures a more effective response to incidents of unauthorized drone piloting, strengthening the CAA's role in ensuring national security in the field of unmanned aircraft.
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Latvian Civil Aviation Agency
About Latvia
Latvia is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe next to the Baltic Sea. In 2004 Latvia joined the EU and since then has been actively developing its prominent new role in a rapidly globalizing world community.
It is one of the Baltic states; and is bordered by Estonia to the north, Lithuania to the south, Russia to the east, Belarus to the southeast, and shares a maritime border with Sweden to the west. Latvia covers an area of 64,589 km2 (24,938 sq mi), with a population of 1.9 million. The country has a temperate seasonal climate. Its capital and largest city is Riga.
Latvia Stats
7.2 mln in 2023​
Arriving and departing passengers
370 in 2023​
Aircraft on national register grand total
2 in 2023
Number of airports
96 000 km²
Size of FIR