Latvian airline airBaltic is planning to recruit more than 100 pilots in 2018 as the airline's route map rapidly expands.

The airline will host a “Pilot Open Days” initiative in several cities in February, including Vilnius, Helsinki, Amsterdam and Stockholm. The initiative targets different types of pilots willing to become part of airBaltic flight crew.

Pauls Calitis, senior vice president Flight Operations of airBaltic, said: “An excellent team is essential to our successful operation and airBaltic’s growth over the past years has confirmed that. Our route map is expanding, the fleet is growing and more passengers travel with us. Such development requires our team to be highly motivated. And naturally, due to the production increase, airBaltic will recruit more pilots this year. Working at airBaltic has many advantages for all positions, but considering our growth and the changing pilot industry, we are now further improving our pilot remuneration system.”

During the “Pilot Open Days” events, all interested individuals will have a chance to learn more about airBaltic’s flight crew vacancies and to receive more information about airBaltic. During the event, the participants will have opportunity to ask questions directly to airBaltic chief pilots and receive all the necessary information on how to join the dynamic and motivated team of the world’s most punctual airline airBaltic.

AirBaltic is organising “Pilot Open Days” in specific cities due to the strong community of pilots. AirBaltic has a multicultural team with over 50 pilots from Lithuania, more than 26 pilots from Netherlands and over 14 from Sweden.

• February 1 - The first “Pilot Open Days” events will be held in Vilnius at 10:00 and at 15:00 in “AirInn Vilnius Hotel”
• February 6 - AirBaltic team will travel to Stockholm and the events will take place at 10:00 and at 15:00 in “Radisson Blu Skycity Hotel”
• February 8 - The “Pilot Open Days” events will be held in Helsinki in “Cumulus Resort Airport Congress Center” at 10:00 and at 15:00.
• February 13 - The final event will take place in Amsterdam in “Hotel NH Amsterdam Schiphol Airport” at 11:00. 

The project does not require candidates to fill out an application form before the visit, but simply to take their CV, personal identification document, and arrive for the event.

In December 2017, airBaltic also started the application process for candidates to the airline’s newly established Pilot Academy at airBalticTraining. Persons selected will be the first class of students of the professional airline pilot training programme and will become airBaltic pilots upon completion of the programme in about two years from now.

AirBaltic serves over 60 destinations from its home base in Riga, Latvia. From every one of these locations, airBaltic offers convenient connections via Riga to its network spanning Europe, Scandinavia, CIS and the Middle East. In addition, airBaltic also offers direct flights from Tallinn and Vilnius. - TradeArabia News Service