Baltia Air Lines (Ypisilanti) has been one of the longest-running start-ups in U.S. aviation history. The company acquired former Northwest Airlines/Kalitta Air Boeing 747-251B N706BL (msn 21705) on December 9, 2010 and has been proposing scheduled airline service from New York (JFK) to the Baltic region, especially St. Petersburg, Russia for several years. With the invasion of Crimea by Russia, is this route still viable for tourism?

Route Map: A previously proposed route map.

Each step in the certification process has been well documented by the upstart. Here is the latest press release:

Baltia Air Lines announced yesterday (April 4) that its Boeing 747 aircraft has entered scheduled maintenance inspection in preparation for its operations. Baltia is America’s newest airline currently undergoing air carrier certification. Baltia’s base of operations is at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

On their website, the company describes itself:

Baltia Air Lines, Inc. (BLTA) is a New York corporation headquartered at JFK International Airport in New York with a base of operations at Willow Run Airport outside of Detroit, Michigan. Baltia’s goal is to become the leading U.S. airline in the trans-Atlantic market between the major U.S. cities and capital cities of Eastern Europe, including Russia, Latvia, Ukraine, and Belarus.

Baltia will provide high quality three-class passenger service, and reliable cargo and mail transportation.

All images courtesy of Baltia Air Lines.