Airport, Financial Services, Latvia, Legislation, Tourism, Transport

Ainars Slesers.

"If Slesers was minister of transport, such madness would not have happened. The situation would have been developing pragmatically," said Slesers and reminded that two years ago, when he left transport minister's office, the airline was a flourishing company that had increased the number of passengers from 350,000 to 3.5 million.

"What has happened during these two years is miserable," he claimed.

Asked about the reasons for such problems, Slesers was of the opinion that both sides were responsible for the current situation, as they were not able to find consensus and take the necessary decisions in time. According to the ex-transport minister, examples of the government's misdoing were the long-delayed airport terminal project, non-alignment of airBaltic payments with those of competitors, and others, reports LETA.

Slesers warned that the company's bankruptcy would not just mean that airBaltic is gone, it would have negative influence on the entire tourism industry. Moreover, it would reduce the possibility to travel to and from Latvia.

Slesers believes that there are two solutions in the given situation. First, the state must buy out airBaltic; second, it should let the private owners act.