Talking Aviation, Growth and People – Interview with Robbert Strating

airBaltic has unveiled a new offer for pilots, one that is designed to better meet the needs of its current pilots and make the company more attractive to future candidates.

The new offer introduces expanded roster options and an improved salary structure. It has been developed in direct response to feedback from our current pilots and insights from the market and has a strong emphasis on competitive salaries, work-life balance, commuting flexibility, and transparent career progression. The new offer will be effective as of January 2026.

Robbert Strating, who joined airBaltic nearly a year ago from Virgin Atlantic, says that with this new offer, the company is raising the standard for how the airline supports its pilots throughout their careers. The package provides not only competitive conditions but also a clear commitment to long-term career satisfaction at airBaltic. ‘For the first time, we will introduce a commuting roster, giving pilots the opportunity to operate one of the youngest fleets in Europe – our Airbus A220-300 aircraft – without the need to relocate to one of airBaltic’s home bases,’ says Strating.

What led you to implement these changes?
I think we’re at the point now where we’ve maximised the pilot market here in the Baltics, and we’re looking deeper into Europe: Germany, the Netherlands, all the way down to France and Portugal, Spain, Italy. Pilots commute to work, which is quite common in the industry, but the Baltics are quite far from these countries, and a lot of time is lost getting here and back. We’ve tried to find the best ways to set up our employment contracts so that they offer much improved conditions for those pilots living farther away. I feel we’re doing something unique in that sense.

You joined airBaltic nearly a year ago. What intrigued you to become a part of this airline?
I worked for Virgin Atlantic for almost six and a half years. It was a very interesting time, but I was just ready for some change. I gradually started to look around and eventually got an offer for this position at airBaltic. I had a good interview here with COO Pauls Cālītis, which gave me a good understanding of the business – the airline is on the path of growth, with the aim to go public through an IPO. Although the airline is smaller, the role I was offered was bigger, and I felt I could help the business move forward and drive a lot of change into the company.

What are your main responsibilities right now?
I’m responsible not only for flight operations but also several broader operational areas. One of them concerns our flight and cabin crews and how to plan their rosters and resources in general. I also work with the team at the airBaltic Training Centre to plan all the training. I look after our new-hire programmes that we have through both the airBaltic Pilot Academy and our normal recruitment channels for pilots and cabin crew. And my work also involves looking after the retention numbers, as our task is to keep as many people as we can.

From the legislative point of view, there’s also cooperation with the Latvian CAA in terms of compliance and the safety of operations. In that capacity, I’ve been nominated to look after the safety and compliance of our wider operation. Right now, I’m also tending to some aspects of Cālītis’ work in his role as COO while he’s currently serving as airBaltic’s interim CEO. All in all, it’s a very exciting phase of my career.

What were your first impressions when you began working at airBaltic?

The company is going through a new phase of growth. It’s leaning on some legacy principles, it has a fairly traditional setup, and my impression was that I could improve and change quite a few things. Not only how we optimise the business, but also in terms of the overall happiness and engagement of our staff. I want to try to move the business forward into even higher job satisfaction and more competitive pay but also higher productivity levels, which all goes hand in hand.

Tell us more about the new programme you and your team have developed to improve working conditions for pilots and cabin crew.

Currently we only have two types of contracts, but the rosters in both of them were quite limited in optionality, and it was obvious that they couldn’t satisfy the needs of our colleagues commuting from other countries. So my team and I had a lot of one-on-one conversations with our flight and cabin crews. We listened to people to learn what they feel they need, and we decided to change the rosters in order to keep our retention rates low.

Because most of our operations take place in the centre of Europe anyway, I tried to find a better way to achieve work-life balance for those commuting pilots through longer blocks of work but also longer blocks of time off, resulting in shorter travel times and distances. We call it the commuting arrangement, which basically means that we contract pilots to come to work for up to 13 days, with some time off in the middle for a rest, and then have 10 days off. We facilitate both their arrival and return from the operating base by taking care of their plane tickets and providing accommodation.

The other option is what we refer to as a reduced working contract, which can be considered a part-time contract. This gives a guaranteed four days off after each working block of five days. It comes with slightly reduced pay, but it gives the employee a lot of predictability.

We’ve also modernised the existing contract for those who want to live in Riga, Vilnius, or Tallinn. We call this our Base contract, and it will guarantee a reduction of layovers. For our employees who live in Riga or any of our other operating bases, this means that they can depart from Riga and return home more often at the end of the day, so they don’t have to spend so much time away from their families. So, I’m trying to create win-wins for people who live far away with blocks of time off and easy commutes, but also for people who live here, so they can spend more time at home while working.

The contracts for pilots are now more tailor-made in order to retain them or attract new pilots, and to let them enjoy the benefits of that lifestyle much more. Plus, there’s also flexibility to change the contract throughout the year, if circumstances require.

How difficult is it to attract pilots right now? What does the pilot market look like in Europe?

In Europe, it’s cooling off a bit. But the market in the Middle East is still quite good; a lot of companies are recruiting, especially in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Salaries are very good and tax-free, of course, but that’s a completely different lifestyle, one in which you have to break ties with your home country and your family and friends and move abroad. That’s not for everybody, as it’s often a one-way door. But here, the market has always been cyclical – there are periods when there’s good availability in terms of pilots, and then there are periods when there aren’t enough of them. The good thing is that we have our own cadet programme at the airBaltic Pilot Academy, which really helps us plan our recruitment better.

How does the Pilot Academy fit into airBaltic’s bigger picture?

It’s a very important part of the airline, because it gives us a considerable intake of pilots. We’re now hiring around 60 new cadets per year. After graduation, all of the students normally have a guaranteed job with us. The plan is that, eventually, when we’re properly resourced again, all our new hires will come from the academy. Unless there’s considerable growth, we won’t need to recruit in the market anymore. We’ve just had the first upgrades of two first officers from the Pilot Academy to captains, which is quite exceptional.

What, in your opinion, makes airBaltic an attractive potential employer for pilots abroad?

We have a great culture within the company – we treat our people well, and we’ve set up structures to support them and look after them. We offer competitive pay. And now there are unique new contracting options as well; I don’t think anybody else in Europe is offering a commuting option like ours. But other airlines will probably try to copy it.

I know you’re a pilot as well, licensed to fly military as well as commercial aircraft.

Yes, I was in the air force for 21 years flying the F16, and as a commercial pilot I’ve flown Boeing 737s for TUI and Boeing 787s for Virgin Atlantic. I did that part-time, because in my role there I didn’t really have that much time to fly. I was looking after flight operations, pilots, and safety. But for now, I think I’ve flown more than enough [laughs].

Which are the moments that make you feel like you’ve done something good at work?

I haven’t flown as a pilot for a while, but it’s a really nice feeling when you can go home after you’ve finished your flight and can forget all about your job and focus on something else, whether that’s your hobby, your family, or both. However, as a leader in the company, there’s always some issue to solve, and you can’t simply forget about it after leaving your office. That said, I feel good when I can make people happier here. If I see low sickness levels, that flights are happening on time, that there’s no ‘noise’, meaning no complaints or minimal complaints – that’s the best I can expect as an airline manager. Having a productive, healthy workforce tells you that the team is doing something right.

I’m also happy if I don’t hear anything from the regulator, because that means we’re doing a good job. So that’s what makes me happy at work.

Briefly about airBaltic and the airline’s new offer

• The commuting roster is a cornerstone of the new offer. It’s a significant step forward that’s designed to attract foreign pilots by enabling them to work at airBaltic without the need to relocate.

• Our flexible roster options give pilots the freedom to choose the schedule that best suits their lifestyle.

• A competitive salary structure with predictable increases in the coming years ensures financial stability and transparency.

• For captains, there’s a clear progression path across ten salary levels, with guaranteed annual advancements. Experienced captains joining airBaltic start at a level that reflects their prior professional experience.

• The airline is currently hiring captains and senior first officers (with fast-track command) for Airbus A220-300 aircraft. Furthermore, the widely known airBaltic Pilot Academy continues to accept applications. It currently has 174 active students from across Europe. A total of 138 graduates have already joined the airline as first officers.

• airBaltic currently employs nearly 3000 professionals representing more than 30 nationalities. For several years, various nationwide surveys have consistently recognised airBaltic as a top employer in the country.