AirBaltic Doubles Gran Canaria Presence: 4 New Routes to Poland and Belgium from Winter 2026

Gran Canaria Airport will gain significantly stronger connections to Central and Eastern Europe from winter 2026/2027. Latvian airline airBaltic has announced a second permanently based Airbus A220-300 on the island and four new routes. It represents the carrier's largest expansion outside its Baltic home markets — and a powerful signal for tourism in southern Gran Canaria, particularly Maspalomas, Playa del Inglés and Meloneras.

Four New Direct Routes: Warsaw, Katowice, Poznan, Liège

The expansion centres on the Polish market. Three of the four new connections serve Polish cities that previously lacked direct flights to the Canary Islands. The fourth route reaches Liège in Belgium, opening up a new catchment area across Wallonia and the tri-border region of Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.

All flights will be operated with the modern Airbus A220-300, seating 148 passengers. The aircraft features complimentary high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi — airBaltic is the first European airline to roll out this service fleet-wide.

Why the Polish Routes Matter for Gran Canaria

Poland is one of Europe's fastest-growing outbound tourism markets. Until now, Polish travellers have been underrepresented on Gran Canaria due to a lack of direct connections. The three new routes from Warsaw, Katowice and Poznan tap a catchment area of over 12 million people across southern and central Poland.

For southern Gran Canaria — and its tourism hubs of Maspalomas and Playa del Inglés in particular — this unlocks a new guest profile: younger travellers seeking winter sun holidays who previously defaulted to Egypt or Turkey.

Liège: A New Gateway to Belgium and the Tri-Border Region

The Liège route opens yet another catchment area. The city sits at the heart of Wallonia, close to the Belgian-Dutch-German tri-border. Tourists from eastern Belgium, Maastricht and Aachen can now reach Gran Canaria by direct flight for the first time.

AirBaltic is simultaneously launching a new Tenerife base with flights to Liège, Ljubljana and Palanga — a sign that the Canary Islands as a whole are gaining traction as a winter destination for Central and Eastern European markets.

AirBaltic on Gran Canaria: From 2023 to Fleet Doubling

The airline opened its first seasonal base at Gran Canaria Airport in 2023. Since then it has connected the island directly with Riga, Vilnius, Tallinn, Helsinki, Oslo, Copenhagen and Stockholm. The current 2025/2026 winter season added Slovenia (Ljubljana) and Norway (Molde).

Gran Canaria Airport: Record Growth Continues

Gran Canaria Airport processed 12.96 million passengers in 2025 — up 5 percent year-on-year. Of those, 4.85 million were international tourists, 3 percent more than 2024. The airBaltic expansion fits this upward trajectory and reduces dependence on traditional source markets such as the UK, Germany and Scandinavia.

For travellers from Poland and Belgium, Gran Canaria becomes a genuine alternative to overcrowded Mediterranean destinations — with winter temperatures around 22°C, the Maspalomas dunes and a nightlife scene second to none. For more on the Canary Islands as a destination, visit the official Gran Canaria Tourism website.