Latvian carrier airBaltic and Israel’s national airline EL AL have announced a new codeshare agreement that will take effect on July 1, 2026, expanding connectivity between Israel, the Baltics and a wide range of European destinations.
The partnership is designed to provide passengers with more seamless travel options while strengthening Riga’s role as a key transit hub linking Northern Europe and Israel. Under the agreement, both airlines will place their flight codes on selected routes operated by the other carrier, allowing customers to book journeys more easily across their combined networks.
From July 1, EL AL will place its LY code on airBaltic-operated flights between Riga and Tel Aviv for both direct and connecting passengers. The Israeli airline will also add its code to airBaltic services from Riga to Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Helsinki, Munich, Oslo, Stockholm, Tallinn, Vienna, Vilnius and Zurich, creating additional one-stop connections via the Latvian capital.
At the same time, airBaltic will place its BT code on EL AL flights between Tel Aviv and several major European cities, including Amsterdam, Vienna, Munich, Frankfurt, Milan, Berlin and Zurich. These services will be available for passengers travelling between Riga and those destinations through Tel Aviv.
Mantas Vrubliauskas, Vice President of Network Management at airBaltic, said Israel remains an important market for the Baltic region, supported by cultural links, tourism demand, family connections and growing business ties.
He noted that the partnership would create more convenient travel opportunities in both directions while further enhancing Riga’s position as a gateway between Israel and Northern Europe.
For EL AL, the new agreement adds to an expanding portfolio of international airline partnerships. The carrier already cooperates with several major airlines, including Delta Air Lines, Air France, KLM, Virgin Atlantic and SAS, as it continues to broaden the range of destinations available to its customers.
The announcement comes shortly after airBaltic confirmed plans to resume direct flights between Riga and Tel Aviv on July 1, 2026. The route will initially operate three times per week as travel demand between the two markets continues to recover.
The new codeshare arrangement is expected to improve connectivity for both leisure and business travellers, offering greater flexibility and access to a wider network of destinations across Europe and the Middle East through a single booking.
