Latvia: airBaltic to cancel 4,670 flights in summer 2025

Latvia’s national air carrier, airBaltic, will cancel altogether 4,670 flights in summer 2025, LSM reports. The company will suspend flights on 19 routes and cut the number of flights on 21 routes. The cancellations will affect around 67,160 passengers. The company said that US manufacturer Pratt & Whitney’s engine maintenance work on the airline’s Airbus…

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Estonia: President rejects amendment halting oil shale mining

Estonian President Alar Karis has rejected an amendment to the law on the use of natural resources, ERR reports. The legislative changes would suspend oil shale mining permits until 2026, allowing time to assess the industry’s compliance with EU climate goals. The president argued that the amendment ran counter to the Constitution and imposed disproportionate…

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Baltic: Latvia, Lithuania block loopholes in EU sanctions on Russia

Latvia and Lithuania refused to accept a new package of EU sanctions against Russia that would have allowed companies to continue doing business in Russia, BNS reports. Three unnamed EU diplomats told Politico that Latvia and Lithuania blocked a clause that included exceptions allowing EU companies to continue importing and exporting sanctioned goods. The clause…

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Estonia: State-owned Operail sold for EUR 19mn

The Estonian company, Tiigi Keskus, has acquired the state-owned rail freight operator, Operail, at a privatisation auction for EUR 19mn, ERR reports. Richard Tomingas, board member of Tiigi Keskus, said that Operail would continue providing rail services, particularly container transportation, in Estonia and expand its operations later if possible. Following the deal, the Estonian state…

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Baltic: Train timetables between Baltic capitals to be coordinated

The passenger train operators of the three Baltic states will begin coordinating their timetables to enable a smooth connection between the Baltic capitals, LSM reports. Estonia’s Elron, Latvia’s Vivi, and Lithuania’s LTG Link plan to align the timetables as of 6 January 2025. Transfer times at Valga and Riga will be around 10-20 minutes. The…

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Estonia: Minister proposes partial privatisation of Eesti Post

Estonia’s Minister of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, Piret Hartman, has proposed privatising part of the state-owned postal services provider, Eesti Post, ERR reports. She said that the earliest date for a possible IPO could be in 2027. The state would nevertheless retain majority ownership of the company, the minister assured. Eesti Post needs additional capital…

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Lithuania: State takes ownership of Klaipeda LNG terminal carrier

Lithuania’s state-owned company, KN Energies, has acquired the LNG carrier, Independence, from Norway’s Höegh Evi (former Höegh LNG) for EUR 138mn, BNS reports. The handover ceremony was attended by the presidents of all three Baltic States and Poland. The floating storage regasification unit (FSRU), which serves as Lithuania’s LNG terminal, arrived at the port of…

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