Latvian airline starts selling cars during flights

WARSAW—Latvian airline airBaltic announced Monday it was branching out into another business, claiming to be the world’s first carrier to sell cars during its flights.

From Friday, passengers on all airBaltic flights will be able to buy a Mini Cooper R56 — provided they have a spare 24,699 euros ($33,048).

They will be asked to make a 50 euro ($67) down payment while in the air and complete the purchase once they land.

“airBaltic is the world’s first airline to start selling cars on board. Naturally, we still believe that flying is smarter than driving whenever possible,” the carrier’s German chief executive Martin Gauss said in a statement.

The airline has just emerged from a bitter ownership battle which resulted in the state upping its stake in the company on December 1 from 52 percent to 99 percent.

The buyout took place to save the airline from possible insolvency following the collapse of two of its main creditors, Baltic banks Krajbanka and Snoras.

The company operates a fleet of 34 aircraft from Riga, plus Tallinn and Vilnius, the capitals of neighboring Baltic states Estonia and Lithuania.