Erno Hilden has assumed the role of CEO at Latvian flag carrier airBaltic today (December 1). His appointment was previously announced in August 2025.
Hilden, a Finnish national, brings more than 25 years' experience in aviation and finance to the role.
Until June 2025, he served as EVP and Group CFO of SAS Scandinavian Airlines, where he has been a key member of the leadership team during the company’s transformation and capital raise.
Before joining SAS, he held senior roles at Saudi Arabian Airlines Group and Finnair, where he served as Group CFO, chief operating officer (COO), and as a member of the executive board.
Paulus Cālītis, who has been leading airBaltic as interim CEO, will now return to his duties as COO and member of the executive board.
airBaltic is currently one of Europe’s fastest-growing carriers and has one of Europe’s youngest fleets, which consists of 51 A220-300 aircraft.
It is majority-owned by the Latvian state, which holds 88.37% of the voting rights, while Deutsche Lufthansa holds 10% and the remaining 1.63% is held by other private shareholders.
In this year’s third quarter, airBaltic has reported a net income of €6 million, despite seeing a significant year-over-year decline in passenger numbers.
However, the company’s third-quarter net income was a substantial improvement over the same period last year, when it reported a €34.3 million net loss.