Post-Soviet beginnings

#4 in the 2020 "Russia Reborn" Livery Design Challenge (tied with ThePessimist)
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In the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union, the once-mighty Aeroflot was dissolved with newly independent countries claiming ownership to the airline's former regional divisions, thus leading to the formation of "Babyflots." With the new governments of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania merging their own ex-Aeroflot divisions into a single multinational entity, Baltija Baltic Airlines was officially established on 20 September 1991. At its inception, Baltija aspired to become one of the leading airlines in Eastern Europe, but various hurdles remained along the way. Like other former Soviet states, capital was in short supply and the airline could not yet afford to buy Western-built planes to upgrade its fleet; hence, Baltivia had to make do with keeping antiquated Soviet-built planes in service until sufficient funds were made available.

In spite of these hardships, the airline embarked on a slow but steady expansion of its European route network, launching new services to major Western European destinations throughout the 1990s.

Registration: YL-LAB