airBaltic Carries Face Masks and Respirators to Latvia

After a request from National Health Service of the Republic of Latvia this weekend airBaltic performed a special cargo flight to and from Ürümqi Diwopu International Airport in China, bringing 900 000 face masks and 80 000 respirators made in Zhengzhou and Yiwu regions to Latvia. The special flight with airBaltic Airbus A220-300 registered as YL-CSI departed from Riga on March 28, 2020 at 08:11, local time and landed in Ürümqi Diwopu International Airport at 19:57, local time. 

The special flight landed back in Riga on March 29 at 00:10 local time. The total flight time to the Ürümqi Diwopu International Airport was 5 hours and 46 minutes, but the flight back on March 29 took 6 hours and 35 minutes. airBaltic with Airbus A220-300 aircraft covered 4 815 km non-stop distance one way between Riga International Airport and the Ürümqi Diwopu International Airport. 

This task was executed in close cooperation with the National Health Service, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia, AirLink Aviation Services and Wish Global. Overall, 619 boxes, 5.1 tonnes or 47 cubic meters of approximately 900 000 face masks and 80 000 respirators were carried. Three pilots and two technicians were on board the aircraft to perform the flight.

In order to meet increasing demand for delivery of cargo from China to Europe during COIVD-19 crisis, airBaltic in cooperation with its cargo representative – logistic company Wish Global and technical support of Airlink Aviation Services, has developed supply chain solution for cargo shipments from practically any big city in China to Baltics and beyond using our passenger aircraft, as cargo charters.