Credit: Erno Hildén
Latvian carrier AirBaltic has appointed experienced aviation industry veteran Erno Hildén as its new CEO.
Hildén, who was previously group chief financial officer at SAS Scandinavian Airlines until June, will take over from interim CEO Pauls Cālītis from 1 December.
The move comes as European aviation giant Lufthansa Group prepares to take a 10 per cent minority stake in Riga-based AirBaltic.
Andrejs Martinovs, chairman of AirBaltic’s supervisory board, said: “We are pleased to appoint Erno Hildén as the next CEO of AirBaltic. His strong background in aviation and finance will add important expertise as the company continues to develop its business and prepares for the next phase of growth.”
AirBaltic operates more than 130 routes from Riga, Tallinn, Vilnius and Tampere in Finland. The airline carried a record 2.9 million passengers during the first seven months of the year – up by 4.6 per cent year-on-year, while it also increased flights by 2.6 per cent to nearly 27,000 over the same period.
“My focus will be on ensuring continuity, supporting the executive board and working together with the team to maintain operational stability and contribute to the company’s long-term objective,” added Hildén.