Eero Pärgmäe, a member of the management board at Tallinn Airport, said the airport is in constant discussions with airlines about opening new routes but it does not mean all routes are popular. But aircraft shortages are not limited to Ryanair, he said

“Looking at the bigger picture, aircraft availability in the market is a major problem. Last year, Ryanair did not receive 20 aircraft from Boeing, which is a significant number even for an airline of Ryanair’s size. On the other hand, Airbus aircraft also have engine issues. So, the shortage of aircraft in the market is quite severe,” he explained on Wednesday morning’s “Terevisioon” morning show.

A shortage of aircraft shortages is one of the main reasons why the aviation market is not growing and why ticket prices are rising, he said: “The supply is not increasing as much as demand requires.”

Ryanair has closed six routes from Tallinn Airport. Pärgmäe pointed out the Billund route was discontinued because the airline shut down its base in Denmark, closing 25 destinations in total.

“In Italy, they will not fly to three destinations this summer, plus Vienna, as well as Paphos, which has been repeatedly opened and closed,” he said, describing the canceled destinations from Tallinn.

When asked how passengers from Tallinn could still reach those destinations, Pärgmäe highlighted that all airports regularly discuss route-opening possibilities with airlines.

“Last week, there was also a trade fair in Spain, where we met with potential carriers and discussed destinations that are available, underserved, or could be opened,” he told the show.

Pärgmäe highlighted that although Ryanair operated flights to Vienna, this did not mean that the Vienna route was well-served from Tallinn Airport’s perspective.

“We were constantly working on Vienna because additional capacity was needed there.” He explained that while Ryanair operated a few vacation flights per week to Vienna, there is a need for business flights with onward connections from the Austrian capital.

From an aviation perspective, Estonia is not a particularly attractive destination, Pärgmäe acknowledged. However, there is demand and purchasing power from customers, which the airport presents to airlines.

The most popular destination from Tallinn is London, Pärgmäe noted. This winter, London flights were well-served, operating almost twice daily. This level of service during the winter season had not been seen before.

Pärgmäe pointed out that people travel more during the summer period and expressed regret that Ryanair announced its route closures so late, as many people had already made summer travel plans.

Other airlines flying from Tallinn, he said, plan their schedules further in advance.

Tallinn Airport is actively trying to attract Flydubai, which was originally supposed to start flights from Tallinn this season.

“But they are facing the same problems as Ryanair – they do not have enough aircraft. They are unable to receive aircraft from Boeing, which is why the route planned for this winter was canceled. If they can get the planes, the route is entirely feasible,” he explained.

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