OREANDA-NEWS. May 11, 2011. Latvian national airline airBaltic has been nominated for the Baltic PR Awards in three categories – achievements in international communications, customer relations and crisis communications.

As for airBaltic’s international communications, the Jury of Baltic PR Awards was presented the airlines strategy of actively communicating its business achievements and awards. Over 2010, airBaltic has received a number of globally recognised awards, and effectively used them to win new customers, attract attention of international media and reassure business and political leaders.

Over 2010, airBaltic had some 700 media visits, appeared in 15 000 publications globally last year.  The media travelling on airBaltic and visiting its destinations represented many globally respected titles, including Die Welt, The New York Times, The Daily Telegraph, BBC, Handelsblatt, CNN Traveller, Forbes, Air Transport World, Borsen, Metro, Elle, GQ, Itartass, Helsingin Sanomat, Kauppalehti.

Together with the PR agency Hill and Knowlton Latvia, airBaltic also presented its novel approach towards communications during the disruption caused by the Iceland volcano in April 2010. Immediately after the volcano-related crisis started, airBaltic created a unique information hub in its social media and online channels, where every informed passenger became an informant and could help other passengers stranded in airports outside their home country. The Jury nominated this for an Award in customer relations and crisis communications categories.

airBaltic has previously won the Pacesetter Award from the Jury of the Budgies World Low Cost Airline Awards, recognising achievements of airBaltic as a trendsetting hybrid airline. airBaltic has also received the title of Airline of the Year 2009/2010 (Gold Award) from the European Regions Airline Association. airBaltic is also the winner of Air Transport World Phoenix Award 2010 – a global recognition of excellence in restructuring business, an award that has the same meaning for airlines as the Oscar award for filmmakers.