15 September 2025
Latvian airline airBaltic has marked a milestone in its training programme with the first graduate of its Pilot Academy stepping up to Captain.
Kaspars Kasakovskis, who joined the academy in 2018 as one of its first 12 cadets, has completed his upgrade and is now flying as Captain for the carrier.
“This achievement is an outstanding milestone not only for him personally, but also for airBaltic and our Pilot Academy as a whole,” said Pauls Cālītis, Interim CEO of airBaltic.
“It demonstrates the strength of the training and the clear career path we have built – from cadet to Captain.”
Since its launch, the academy has produced 138 graduates who have gone on to fly with airBaltic, most as First Officers, with some also taking on instructor roles. The school currently has around 140 active students, with more than 10% female, and cadets drawn from across Europe.
The next graduation will see more than 20 students complete their training – the largest class in the academy’s history.
Students cover €25,000 of the initial costs, which includes ATPL theory and 45 flight hours, before moving into airline employment and accessing an airBaltic-funded loan for the remainder of their training.
airBaltic has also invested in training infrastructure, with two Airbus A220 full flight simulators now in use at its Riga base. Founded in 1995, airBaltic operates a fleet of 50 Airbus A220-300s.
