Latvia’s aviation fuel stocks have fallen to 4,600 tonnes (5,070 tons), less than four days’ supply at current use, after a scheduled delivery of 7,200 tonnes (7,940 tons) failed to arrive. Forty-six flights have been cancelled since Tuesday, airport operators said, as airlines ration fuel and warn that more routes could be cut before the weekend.
The shortage has sharply escalated a dispute over a proposed €160 million ($185 million) government loan to Daugava Air, the state-backed carrier. The airline reported a third-quarter loss of €68 million, down 19% from a year earlier, while revenue rose 24%; it said fuel costs climbed 31%. Eighteen governing Barkava Civic Union MPs were suspended on Wednesday after refusing to support the rescue bill.
A missed delivery, a fast squeeze
The cargo was due at the Ventspils port terminal on Monday, but the supplier reduced its shipment after refinery maintenance ran late, according to Transport Minister Agata Majewski. She said Latvia had no immediate replacement cargo and that a second delivery was not expected before 4 November. The terminal is about 150 km (93 miles) from Riga, where the country’s main airport handles most international flights.
Daugava Air said it had cancelled 31 flights and combined several lightly booked services. Its spokeswoman, Luna Simões, said the airline had enough fuel to protect essential routes but could not promise normal schedules if deliveries did not resume. “We are making decisions flight by flight; passengers should not assume tomorrow’s timetable will hold,” she said.
We cannot ask the country to underwrite an airline and then pretend the fuel will appear by itself.
Benjamín Caldera, opposition MP
The ruling party’s executive suspended the 18 MPs from its parliamentary caucus after they said they would vote against the loan. The package is due before parliament on Friday. Majewski, who is also a deputy party chair, said the dissenters had “put political theatre ahead of keeping the country connected”; the MPs retain their seats but lose committee roles while the party reviews their status.
Bailout vote turns into a test
The party’s coalition partners have not promised support, leaving the rescue vote uncertain. Karl-Johan Martinsson, a Riga-based transport economist, said the immediate supply gap could be managed if the next cargo arrived on time, but the airline’s finances made the political argument harder. “A short-term loan might keep planes flying; it does not settle who pays for the next fuel shock,” he said.
Airport operators said fuel would be allocated first to flights with the fewest alternatives, including routes serving smaller Baltic cities. Passengers on affected services were being offered rebooking or refunds, while business groups warned that another week of cuts would disrupt autumn travel and cargo schedules. The government says it will publish a daily stock update from Thursday and expects parliament to decide the loan terms on Friday.
