Estonian Air

Estonian Air was the national flag carrier of Estonia, operating scheduled passenger and cargo services. Founded in 1991 following the restoration of Estonian independence, the airline connected Tallinn with major European cities and served as the primary international carrier for the country for over two decades. The airline faced persistent financial difficulties throughout its history, struggling to compete against low-cost carriers and larger European airlines. Despite multiple restructuring attempts and injections of state funding, Estonian Air was unable to achieve long-term profitability. In November 2015, Estonian Air ceased all operations and declared bankruptcy after the European Commission ruled that state aid received by the airline was illegal, ordering repayment. It was succeeded on some routes by a new regional carrier, Nordica (Nordic Aviation Group), established to maintain air connectivity for Estonia.