Air Baltic Cargo tracking

What is Air Baltic Cargo?

Air Baltic Cargo is the dedicated cargo division of airBaltic, Latvia's national airline and flag carrier. Operating out of Riga International Airport, identified by the IATA airport code RIX, the division provides air freight transport services across Europe, the Middle East, the CIS region, North Africa, and the Caucasus. Rather than operating dedicated freighter aircraft, the carrier moves all freight as belly cargo on airBaltic's scheduled passenger services, a model that draws on a route network of over 100 routes to more than 80 destinations while keeping operational costs at a competitive level.

The founding of Air Baltic Cargo is inseparable from the broader history of airBaltic itself, which grew out of Latvia's restoration of independence following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Air Baltic Corporation SIA was formally incorporated in August 1995, with the Latvian state holding 51%, Scandinavian Airlines holding 28.5%, and a small group of Swedish and Danish investment funds accounting for the remainder. The first revenue flight took place on October 1, 1995, operating a 30-seat Saab 340 turboprop from Riga with a founding staff of fewer than 200. The cargo division was formally established two years later, in 1997, and a dedicated cargo terminal followed at Riga Airport in 2001 as the first significant infrastructure investment in the division's handling capacity.

• Founded: August 1995, with the first revenue flight on October 1, 1995; the cargo division was formally established in 1997
• Headquarters: Tehnikas iela 3, Lidosta Riga, Mārupe, Latvia
• Primary hub: RIX Riga International Airport, Latvia
• Parent company: A/S Air Baltic Corporation SIA, with the Government of Latvia holding a 97.97% majority stake
• IATA airline code: BT, ICAO code BTI, with an air waybill prefix of 657
• Fleet: 49 Airbus A220-300 aircraft, with a stated target of 100 aircraft by 2030
• Workforce: Over 2,700 professionals across the airline group
• Awards: Skytrax "Best Airline in Eastern Europe" for 2022 and 2023

Air Baltic Cargo holds the status of the largest aviation cargo and mail carrier at Riga Airport, reflecting its central position within Baltic air logistics. The division sells exclusively through a network of accredited freight forwarder partners rather than directly to end-shippers, placing it firmly within the professional air freight market. Freight forwarders access belly capacity through the CargoSpot reservation portal, and since winter 2024 also through the Cargo One digital procurement platform, which extends the commercial reach of the carrier to forwarder networks across 134 countries. This B2B structure means that businesses or individuals wishing to ship via airBaltic Cargo must engage a registered freight forwarding agent to initiate a booking.

The most significant recent development for the division was the official opening of the Baltic Cargo Hub on May 22, 2025. This purpose-built facility at RIX tripled the annual handling capacity of the previous terminal and was recognized at its opening as the largest dedicated air cargo handling facility in the Baltic states. The hub includes dedicated temperature-controlled rooms for perishables and pharmaceutical cargo, an on-site customs checkpoint integrated directly into the facility's workflow, and Food and Veterinary Service offices to support the clearance of live animals and food products, representing a substantial upgrade over the infrastructure the division had previously relied upon.

Which countries does Air Baltic Cargo deliver to?

Air Baltic Cargo operates across a physical network of more than 100 routes connecting the Baltic region to destinations in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, the CIS countries, and the Caucasus, with all cargo moving as belly freight on scheduled passenger services. The primary operational hub is Riga International Airport in Latvia, supplemented by secondary operating bases at Tallinn Airport in Estonia, Vilnius Airport in Lithuania, and Tampere Airport in Finland. Gran Canaria in Spain also functions as a seasonal operating base, extending the carrier's reach southward during peak travel periods.

The route network encompasses over 80 named destinations, with a notable characteristic being the inclusion of shorter-runway regional airports that many larger carriers cannot serve due to aircraft size constraints. This gives Air Baltic Cargo access to markets that are otherwise underserved by direct air freight services. Within Europe, the network covers destinations across Scandinavia, Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, the Iberian Peninsula, and the Mediterranean, with airBaltic having expanded its footprint considerably since Latvia's accession to the European Union in May 2004, which boosted passenger traffic at Riga by 50% and crossed the one million passenger threshold for the first time in that same year.

• Baltic states and Northern Europe: Latvia (primary hub at RIX), Estonia (Tallinn), Lithuania (Vilnius), Finland (Tampere), Sweden, Norway, Denmark
• Western Europe: United Kingdom, Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland Ireland Portugal
• Southern Europe: Spain including Gran Canaria, Italy, Greece and other Mediterranean destinations
• Central and Eastern Europe: Poland Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine and other Central European destinations
• Middle East: Israel, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other destinations in the region
• CIS and Caucasus: Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and other former Soviet states served within the route network
• North Africa: Egypt and other North African destinations within the scheduled network

Since winter 2024, Air Baltic Cargo's capacity has been listed on the Cargo One digital procurement platform, which connects to freight forwarder networks across 134 countries. This means the commercial relationship for a shipment can originate from virtually anywhere in the world, even though the physical cargo must be routed through one of airBaltic's served airports. Shippers outside the Baltic region access the carrier's services by working with a registered freight forwarder who has access to the CargoSpot booking portal or the Cargo One platform, with the forwarder handling origin-side logistics to get the cargo to the relevant departure point.

Connecting itineraries to destinations beyond the direct route network are typically assembled by the freight forwarder using a combination of airBaltic belly flights and services from other carriers. International cargo arriving at Riga passes through the Baltic Cargo Hub's on-site customs checkpoint before onward routing, and outbound shipments from the Baltic states are processed at RIX before departing on the relevant passenger service. The multi-base structure across Riga, Tallinn, and Vilnius gives the carrier meaningful coverage across all three Baltic states without shippers being limited to a single origin gateway.

What are the Air Baltic Cargo services and delivery times?

Air Baltic Cargo accepts a defined set of cargo categories across its belly-hold network, with each category subject to specific handling, documentation, and routing requirements. General cargo forms the core product, covering standard commercial goods shipped under IATA airway bill conditions through the freight forwarder network. Beyond general freight, the carrier offers specialized handling for perishables, pharmaceutical products, live animals, valuables, human remains, and dangerous goods, with the Baltic Cargo Hub providing dedicated infrastructure for categories that require controlled conditions or specialized clearance procedures.

Perishables handling covers temperature-sensitive food items, fresh produce, flowers, and seafood requiring time-critical transport and controlled storage conditions. The Baltic Cargo Hub at Riga includes purpose-built temperature-controlled rooms specifically for this category, which improves the carrier's ability to handle cold-chain shipments at the primary hub. Pharmaceutical cargo is treated as a distinct category from standard perishables, with stricter temperature control and documentation requirements reflecting the regulatory standards applicable to medical and life-sciences shipments within the European Union. The hub's infrastructure accommodates both product types in purpose-built areas separate from general freight.

Live animal transport is offered under airBaltic's status as an EU-authorized animal carrier, with animals transported as manifested hold cargo in accordance with IATA Live Animal Regulations. For shipments originating from Latvia, Lithuania, or Estonia, the carrier recommends working with forwarding agents who hold specific training in IATA Live Animal Regulations procedures. Dangerous goods are accepted subject to IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations, though belly-hold carriage on passenger aircraft imposes stricter restrictions than those applicable to dedicated freighter aircraft, which means certain hazardous materials that could travel on an all-cargo service cannot be accepted on airBaltic flights.

Transit times for Air Baltic Cargo shipments are determined by the available flight schedule between the origin and destination airports rather than by a fixed service-level commitment of the kind offered by express courier integrators. Because all cargo moves as belly freight on passenger timetables, the routing and timing depend on which services connect the relevant city pair at the time of booking. Shippers working through freight forwarder agents receive routing options and transit time estimates as part of the quotation process, with timescales for air freight through the airBaltic network generally falling in the range of one to twenty days depending on the specific routing and any connection requirements involved.

• General cargo: Standard commercial goods transported under IATA airway bill conditions via the freight forwarder network
• Perishables: Temperature-sensitive foods, fresh produce, flowers, and seafood handled in dedicated temperature-controlled facilities at the Baltic Cargo Hub
• Pharmaceutical cargo: Medical and life-sciences shipments handled to stricter temperature and documentation standards than standard perishables
• Live animals: Transported as manifested hold cargo under IATA Live Animal Regulations, with airBaltic holding EU-authorized animal carrier status
• Valuables and high-value cargo: Accepted with appropriate security handling protocols
• Human remains (HUM): Accepted as a specialized category with dedicated handling procedures
• Dangerous goods: Accepted subject to IATA DGR, with restrictions specific to belly-hold carriage on passenger aircraft
• Transit times: Determined by the flight schedule; typical range of one to twenty days depending on routing

What are the Air Baltic Cargo rates and maximum dimensions accepted?

Air Baltic Cargo does not publish a standard rate card for public consultation. Because the division sells exclusively through accredited freight forwarding agents, the price for a given shipment is negotiated between the freight forwarder and their client based on the origin-destination lane, the commodity type, the volume and weight of the cargo, and prevailing market conditions at the time of booking. The rate structure used between airBaltic Cargo and the forwarder follows standard IATA air freight conventions, built around the concept of chargeable weight as the primary billing unit.

Chargeable weight in air freight is calculated as the higher of the actual gross weight and the volumetric weight of the shipment. Volumetric weight is derived from the cargo's dimensions by multiplying length, width, and height in centimeters and dividing the result by 6,000, the standard divisor applied across the air freight industry. A shipment that is physically light but occupies significant space will therefore be rated on its dimensional measurement rather than its actual mass. This calculation method is standard across the air freight sector and applies to all Air Baltic Cargo shipments booked through the forwarder network, regardless of commodity type or destination.

Physical capacity limits for individual pieces are governed by the specifications of the Airbus A220-300's belly holds, which provide 28 cubic meters of usable cargo hold volume. Per-piece dimension limits and unit load device compatibility charts are published in the technical specifications section of airBaltic's cargo pages. Shippers with oversized pieces, unusually heavy single items, or cargo with non-standard configurations should confirm with their registered airBaltic Cargo forwarding agent before committing to a booking, as not all cargo dimensions are compatible with the A220-300's hold geometry and the available ground handling equipment at all stations.

• Pricing model: Negotiated through accredited freight forwarding agents; no publicly available rate card
• Rate basis: Standard IATA chargeable weight, being the higher of actual gross weight and volumetric weight
• Volumetric weight formula: Length x width x height in centimeters, divided by 6,000
• Cargo hold volume: 28 cubic meters of usable belly hold capacity on the Airbus A220-300
• Per-piece limits: Dimension and weight restrictions per piece are published in the technical specifications of the airBaltic cargo pages
• Oversized or special cargo: Must be confirmed with a registered airBaltic Cargo freight forwarding agent prior to booking

What are the Air Baltic Cargo delivery options?

Air Baltic Cargo operates as an airline cargo carrier and transports freight between airports on scheduled passenger services. The carrier does not offer home delivery, parcel locker networks, pickup points, or any other form of last-mile delivery service to end consignees. The scope of airBaltic Cargo's direct operational responsibility ends at the destination airport, where cargo is released to the freight forwarder or their nominated ground handling partner. All arrangements for customs clearance, trucking from the airport to the final address, and handover to the consignee are the responsibility of the freight forwarder engaged by the shipper to manage the broader logistics chain.

In practice, many freight forwarders offer door-to-airport or door-to-door services that incorporate the Air Baltic Cargo belly flight as one segment of a multi-leg logistics chain. A shipper based outside the Baltic region could, for example, engage a freight forwarder who arranges road collection from the shipper's premises, delivery to the departure airport, booking onto the relevant airBaltic service, and onward ground transport to the consignee at the destination. The specific delivery conditions at the final point, including whether a signature is required, how a failed delivery attempt is handled, and what documentation is needed for cargo release, are determined by the freight forwarder and the final-mile carrier they engage, not by airBaltic Cargo.

• Airport-to-airport transport: Core service; cargo is carried between airports on scheduled airBaltic passenger services
• Origin ground handling: Arranged by the freight forwarder and their nominated handling agent at the departure airport
• Destination ground handling: Arranged by the freight forwarder or their destination partner at the arrival airport
• Customs clearance: Handled by the freight forwarder or a customs broker engaged by the forwarder, not directly by airBaltic Cargo
• Final delivery to consignee: Arranged by the freight forwarder; airBaltic Cargo has no direct operational role in last-mile delivery

What should I do if my Air Baltic Cargo parcel is lost or damaged?

Claims for lost or damaged cargo transported by Air Baltic Cargo are typically initiated through the freight forwarding agent who arranged the shipment rather than directly with the airline. Because all Air Baltic Cargo bookings are contracted through the freight forwarder network, the forwarder is the primary commercial contact for the shipper and generally holds the contractual standing to file a claim against the carrier on the shipper's behalf. Anyone who has shipped cargo via airBaltic Cargo and suspects a loss or damage should contact their forwarding agent as promptly as possible upon identifying the problem, since delay in notification can affect the outcome under applicable liability rules.

International air cargo claims are governed by the Montreal Convention, which sets limits on carrier liability for loss, damage, and delay and imposes specific deadlines for filing notices. Damage to cargo must generally be reported in writing within 14 days of delivery, and delay claims carry their own notification window under the Convention. The freight forwarder will guide the claimant through the documentation requirements, which typically include the original airway bill, the commercial invoice, a packing list, a detailed statement of the loss or damage, and photographs where physical damage is present. Meeting these deadlines is necessary for a claim to be considered valid under the Convention's framework.

• Step 1 - Contact the freight forwarder: The forwarder who booked the shipment is the primary contact for initiating a claim and typically holds contractual standing to file on the shipper's behalf
• Step 2 - Document the loss or damage: Gather the original airway bill, commercial invoice, packing list, photographs of any physical damage, and a written description of the discrepancy identified
• Step 3 - Observe filing deadlines: Under the Montreal Convention, damage notices must generally be filed within 14 days of delivery; loss claims should be initiated promptly once a delay is confirmed as a total non-delivery
• Step 4 - Contact the cargo division directly: The Air Baltic Cargo team can be reached by telephone at +371 6700 6006 for matters that cannot be resolved through the forwarding agent
• Liability framework: International air cargo claims are governed by the Montreal Convention, which sets maximum carrier liability per kilogram and defines obligations for both the carrier and the claimant

Does Air Baltic Cargo handle international shipments and customs formalities?

All international shipments handled by Air Baltic Cargo are subject to standard export customs procedures at the point of origin and import customs clearance at the destination country, consistent with IATA regulations and applicable national customs laws. A notable feature of the Baltic Cargo Hub, which opened at RIX in May 2025, is a dedicated on-site customs checkpoint integrated directly into the terminal's operational workflow. This allows customs inspections to take place within the cargo facility itself rather than requiring separate transport of cargo to an external customs post, which reduces handling time and simplifies the clearance process for shipments routed through Riga.

The Baltic Cargo Hub also incorporates Food and Veterinary Service offices within the terminal, allowing veterinary and phytosanitary inspections for perishables, live animals, and food products to be conducted on-site without additional movement of the cargo. For live animal shipments originating from the Baltic states, compliance with IATA Live Animal Regulations and EU animal transport legislation is required, consistent with airBaltic's status as an EU-authorized animal carrier. Dangerous goods are accepted subject to IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations, with stricter limits applying to belly-hold carriage on passenger aircraft than would apply on dedicated all-cargo freighters, which means certain restricted hazardous materials that could travel on a freighter service cannot be accommodated on airBaltic flights.

The allocation of customs duties and taxes between the shipper and the consignee depends on the trade terms agreed for the commercial transaction, typically structured around Incoterms. Whether duties are paid by the shipper on a DDP basis or left to the consignee on a DAP basis is determined by the commercial contract and arranged through the freight forwarder and customs broker engaged for the shipment. Air Baltic Cargo as an airline carrier does not directly offer duty management or customs brokerage services to shippers; these functions rest with the forwarding and brokerage partners who manage the ground-side components of the logistics chain.

• On-site customs checkpoint: Integrated within the Baltic Cargo Hub at RIX, opened May 2025, allowing customs inspections to take place within the cargo terminal itself
• Food and Veterinary Service offices: Integrated within the Baltic Cargo Hub for on-site clearance of perishables, live animals, and food products
• Dangerous goods: Accepted subject to IATA DGR, with stricter restrictions for belly-hold carriage on passenger aircraft than apply to dedicated all-cargo freighters
• Live animals: Must comply with IATA Live Animal Regulations and EU animal transport law; forwarding agents handling Baltic-origin live animal shipments should hold relevant IATA LAR training
• Customs duties and taxes: Allocated per agreed Incoterms; brokerage is handled by the freight forwarder or a nominated customs broker, not by airBaltic Cargo directly

Understanding tracking statuses

Air Baltic Cargo uses the standard IATA air waybill tracking system for shipment visibility. Tracking numbers follow the format 657-XXXXXXXX, where 657 is airBaltic's assigned IATA airline prefix and the remaining eight digits form the unique shipment identifier, giving a full airway bill number of eleven digits. The tracking input field on the official cargo portal requires a minimum of eight characters to return a result. Third-party tracking aggregators including also support airBaltic airway bill numbers using the 657 prefix, allowing freight forwarders to monitor shipments within multi-carrier dashboard environments.

The status messages used in the airBaltic Cargo tracking system follow the standard IATA Cargo-XML and CASS codes used across the global air freight industry. These codes are consistent between airlines, meaning that a freight forwarder or consignee familiar with another airline's tracking system will recognize the same status designations on airBaltic shipments. The table below explains the key statuses that may appear during the lifecycle of a shipment, from the initial booking stage through to final delivery confirmation at the destination.