Latvijas Gaisa Satiksmes Akciju Sabiedriba
| Company type | Joint-stock company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Founded | 1922-07-31 |
| Founder | Jānis Lindbergs, Jānis Ozols, Alexander Woskressenski |
| Defunct | 1928 |
| Headquarters | Riga , Latvia |
Area served | International flights in Baltic region and Germany |
Key people | Jānis Lindbergs, Jānis Ozols, Alexander Woskressenski |
| Products | Passenger and cargo air transport services |
Latvijas Gaisa Satiksmes Akciju Sabiedrība was a Latvian-German carrier headquartered in Riga, conducting international flights from Spilve Airport (ICAO: EVRS). Established in 1922, it discontinued operations in 1928 following the withdrawal of key shareholder backing.
Formation
Latvijas Gaisa Satiksmes AS was created on July 31, 1922, with an initial capital of 100,000 Lats Gold francs, divided into 5,000 shares valued at 20 Lats each. The airline received support from Junkers Flugzeugwerk AG based in Dessau, whose objective was to maintain its Junkers F 13 aircraft fleet and boost sales of its airplanes. Additionally, Junkers aimed to capitalize on the German postal contract for cargo and passenger services on the Berlin–Königsberg–Kaunas–Riga corridor awarded in 1920.
The founders comprised Latvian Captain Jānis Lindbergs, Lieutenant Jānis Ozols, and Dr. Alexander Woskressenski, a Russian attorney who acted as general agent for Lloyd-Junkers Luftverkehrs GmbH in Latvia and Estonia. The enterprise obtained a Latvian government license for international air services and intended to operate both as an airline and as an agent, with plans to establish aircraft maintenance facilities at airports.
According to Article 17 of its statutes, the company could issue shares specifically to finance aircraft acquisitions, allowing Junkers Flugzeugwerk AG to provide planes. On August 2, 1922, ownership of 2,000 shares was transferred to Junkers Werke AG, Dessau, and another 2,760 shares went to Danziger Luftpost GmbH in exchange for two Junkers F.13 aircraft. While Junkers Werke AG’s formal shareholding remained constant, proxy arrangements effectively granted it full control.
Latvijas Gaisa Satiksmes AS acquired two silver-toned Junkers F.13 aircraft: Condor (D-202) from Junkers Flugzeugwerk AG and Fasan (D-215) from Danziger Luftpost GmbH. Initially registered under German authority, these planes were subsequently re-registered in Latvia as BL-ATA (in September 1923) and BL-ATB (in March 1924).
Service record
In the spring of 1923, Latvijas Gaisa Satiksmes AS became part of the Osteuropa Union—a consortium of airlines affiliated with Junkers—to operate flights along the Tallinn–Riga–Kaunas–Königsberg route starting March 7; this service also included stops at Klaipėda. Between May and October 1923, the airline and its partners covered 107,896 kilometers, carrying 1,061 passengers, transporting 7,041 kilograms of freight and 581 kilograms of mail across 257 out of 284 scheduled flights (achieving a punctuality rate of 90%).
This route remained active during the May–October periods of both 1924 and 1925. Over the span from 1923 through 1925, Latvijas Gaisa Satiksmes AS accumulated a total flight distance of 603,000 kilometers while transporting 5,627 passengers and handling freight weighing 84,007 kilograms.
On May 7 (year unspecified), the airline participated in founding the Europa Union KGA in Berlin. However, after Europa Union KGA increased its capital stock in September 1925, the Latvian government withdrew its financial support. As a result, Latvijas Gaisa Satiksmes AS terminated its involvement with Europa Union KGA and ceased operations under its oversight.
Growth ambitions and shutdown
In May 1925, Dr. Woskressenski approached Junkers’ director Dr. Kaumann with a proposal to supply Latvijas Gaisa Satiksmes AS with one Junkers F 13W plus two Junkers G 24 aircraft; nevertheless, this initiative was eventually abandoned.
The airline struggled financially; in 1924 it posted a marginal profit of only Latvian Lats 104.35. From total revenues amounting to Lats 366,319.95, ticket sales contributed merely Lats 42,328.86—the remainder coming from shareholders and government subsidies. Following the Latvian Government’s cessation of subsidies in 1925, Junkers Werke AG opted to terminate airline operations during summer 1926.
By mid-1926 both Junkers F 13 aircraft had been sold and returned to German registration. The company was officially dissolved by November 1928.
Fleet
Latvijas Gaisa Satiksme maintained a fleet of three single-engine Junkers F-13 planes, although it never operated more than two at the same time. These aircraft were registered under BL-ATA and BL-ATB.
- BL-ATA
- originally designated D-202 Condor, supplied by Junkers Flugzeugwerk AG.
- BL-ATB
- initially D-215 Fasan, acquired from Danziger Luftpost, which crashed and was destroyed by fire on October 15, 1924.
- BL-ATB
- formerly D-251 Eule, introduced in April 1925 as a replacement for the first BL-ATB.
Accidents and incidents
On October 15, 1924, the Junkers F.13 registered as BL-ATB was involved in a crash and subsequently consumed by fire while undergoing maintenance in Königsberg. Fortunately, there were no injuries.
On March 10, 1926, the Junkers F 13 with registration BL-ATA, leased to Aero O/y, crashed near Helsinki amid dense fog conditions. It is believed to have been carrying either a Latvian Air Force delegation or a lone passenger. No fatalities occurred. The aircraft was transported to Königsberg for repairs on April 19, 1926.
Destinations served
The airline’s network included flights to:
- Kaunas (Aleksotas / S. Darius and S. Girėnas airport)
- Klaipėda (Rumpiškės)
- Königsberg (Devau airport)
- Riga (Spilve airport)
- Tallinn (Lasnamäe Airfield)