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airBaltic / New CS300<br />
airBaltic / BEHIND THE SCENES<br />
New aircraft –<br />
new destinations!<br />
Baltic Outlook asked Wolfgang Reuss, airBaltic’s senior vicepresident<br />
in network planning, about the introduction of the<br />
airline’s new fleet of Bombardier CS300 aircraft.<br />
It depends on the airline, but usually the renewal of<br />
a fleet comes once every 20 years. Have you already<br />
been involved in a similar fleet introduction while<br />
working elsewhere?<br />
I had been involved in refleeting, fleet-planning and<br />
procurement projects before, but the introduction<br />
of a brand new aircraft to an airline that will be the<br />
very first to use it is extremely exciting, and certainly<br />
doesn’t happen every day.<br />
Meet our new<br />
Bombardier CS300<br />
Only a few months remain until the first<br />
new Bombardier CS300 aircraft join<br />
airBaltic’s fleet.<br />
A NEW TRAVEL EXPERIENCE<br />
Designed with the passenger’s comfort<br />
in mind, the CSeries cabin provides space<br />
where it matters the most. Enjoy the<br />
greatest seat width and widest middle<br />
seat of a single-aisle commercial aircraft.<br />
Extra large windows provide additional<br />
natural light, and more than one window<br />
can be seen in each row. There is enough<br />
space for the carry-on baggage of every<br />
passenger, and the luggage bins are now<br />
lower, making them easier to reach. All<br />
this and more will ensure an even more<br />
pleasant flying experience.<br />
EXTRAORDINARY EFFICIENCY<br />
Stringent environmental standards<br />
in a rapidly changing world. CSeries<br />
aircraft are the quietest commercial<br />
jet in production, while maintaining<br />
remarkably low rates of carbon emission.<br />
THE NEXT GENERATION AIRCRAFT<br />
Innovative design and the latest<br />
technologies have resulted in<br />
more convenience and comfort for<br />
passengers, along with an expanded<br />
aircraft flight range. This will allow<br />
airBaltic to take its customers further<br />
and bring them to more exotic<br />
locations. In addition, the CSeries<br />
aircraft flies faster than similar aircraft,<br />
requiring less time to bring travellers to<br />
their destination.<br />
Wolfgang Reuss, SVP Network Management<br />
at airBaltic<br />
You started to work at airBaltic when the arrival<br />
of the new CS300 was relatively close at hand. Did<br />
you foresee the scale of the work to be done in<br />
introducing the new fleet, and did this play a role in<br />
your decision to join airBaltic?<br />
Yes, I started working at airBaltic one year ago,<br />
when the preparations for introducing the CS300<br />
were ramping up. The closer we get to the actual<br />
delivery of our first aircraft this autumn, the more<br />
we have to do. It is indeed a lot of work for all of the<br />
departments, but at the same time, this is a very<br />
special and motivating project that has involved a<br />
true team effort, as it spans across all departments<br />
of our company.<br />
The introduction of the CS300 as such didn’t play<br />
a direct role in my decision to join airBaltic, but it was<br />
one of many signs that this is a dynamic, modern and<br />
customer-focused airline. The airline’s innovative spirit<br />
was one of my main motivations for joining airBaltic.<br />
© F64<br />
What would be the most important benefit of the<br />
CS300 for you as a passenger?<br />
I had the chance to see a prototype of the smaller<br />
CS100 when it was here in Riga last year, and that was<br />
already a very spacious aircraft, with bigger windows<br />
than many other planes currently in operation and a<br />
vast improvement in terms of comfort. In the CS300,<br />
which is even larger, spaciousness will be the first<br />
feature that our customers will immediately notice<br />
when boarding one of our new aircraft.<br />
The CS300 is a leader in its class in many aspects.<br />
What is the most important benefit of the CS300<br />
for you as a senior network planner for the airline?<br />
Reduced fuel consumption and other economic factors<br />
play a crucial role in network planning. These will<br />
further improve the competitiveness of our product<br />
and network.<br />
What changes will result to airBaltic’s network once<br />
the CS300 is completely phased in?<br />
We will gradually replace our Boeing 737s with the<br />
CS300, which will result in an undisputedly improved<br />
customer experience in many respects, mainly in terms<br />
of comfort and space. In addition, the new aircraft will<br />
be able to fly further without refuelling, which means<br />
that we have quite a few surprises in store during the<br />
coming years!<br />
And finally, to which destination would you like to<br />
fly first on airBaltic’s new CS300?<br />
Let me keep that to myself. Otherwise, I would<br />
already reveal the launch destination of the<br />
CS300 at airBaltic. BO<br />
108 | AIRBALTIC.COM BALTIC OUTLOOK | SEPTEMBER 2016 | 109
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