The new strategic investor in Latvia’s national air carrier, airBaltic, will be “a big positive surprise,” CEO Martin Gauss stated, LSM reports. He said that the identity of the investor would indicate that airBaltic was “recognised internationally as a serious airline.” Also, the investor would welcome the continued shareholding of the Latvian state in the company after its planned IPO, Gauss said. The airline intends to announce an IPO by the end of 2024. Gauss predicted that airBaltic would double in size over the next five years, adding that the company was a “GDP multiplier.”