Air Baltic has asked a US bankruptcy court for permission to reject leases on six Airbus A220-300s and return the aircraft to their lessors. The jets are listed at Riga International Airport. The motion, filed as part of the Latvian carrier’s Chapter 11 restructuring, proposes 17 November as the rejection date; the court has not yet approved it. Air Baltic is also assessing whether to return additional aircraft and equipment.
The aircraft are registered YL-CSI, YL-ABD, YL-ABE, YL-ABF, YL-BTC and YL-BTD. In the filing, Air Baltic says they are no longer required under its business plan and that their lease terms are above prevailing market rates. A hearing on the request is scheduled for 17 November in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.
The airline’s filing lists a fleet of 54 A220-300s: 46 under operating leases and eight owned. It anticipates further returns of aircraft and related equipment, including spare engines, but has not specified the number or timing. Any additional lease rejections would require separate court orders.