newstodate.aero
Jun 08, 23009 (newstodate): Estonia's Tartu Airport, serving the country's 2nd largest city but today seeing only training and occasional charter operations, is optimistic about its future with international air traffic.
-We are very close to the final decision by Latvian carrier airBaltic on the launch of our first international service, says Mark Rein, Tartu Airport manager.
-airBaltic will announce its decision not later than July 1, 2009, and the first flights on the new route with Fokker 50 between Tartu and Riga, Latvia, will then be on July 3, 2009.
-Estonian Air has also announced plans for a new route to connect Tartu and Stockholm, Sweden, and we expect the start to be in September, 2009.
-It will be quite a challenge to open flights on the first route as we are yet to finish construction works on a new passenger terminal to replace the existing terminal built in 1981 and of course inadequate to provide quality handling of larger volumes of passengers. But - we are convinced we will manage even with existing resources.
-Further down the line we are also expecting a decision on the opening of a third international route to connect Tartu with Helsinki.
-We have had meetings with Finncomm Airlines about this, and I think that we will see the opening of the route either later this autumn, or by spring 2010, says Mr Rein.
The runway at Tartu Airport has been extended from 1,379 to 1,800 m and new airfield lighting systems have been installed. The airport also plans to implement an ILS system from next spring.
-We are very close to the final decision by Latvian carrier airBaltic on the launch of our first international service, says Mark Rein, Tartu Airport manager.
-airBaltic will announce its decision not later than July 1, 2009, and the first flights on the new route with Fokker 50 between Tartu and Riga, Latvia, will then be on July 3, 2009.
-Estonian Air has also announced plans for a new route to connect Tartu and Stockholm, Sweden, and we expect the start to be in September, 2009.
-It will be quite a challenge to open flights on the first route as we are yet to finish construction works on a new passenger terminal to replace the existing terminal built in 1981 and of course inadequate to provide quality handling of larger volumes of passengers. But - we are convinced we will manage even with existing resources.
-Further down the line we are also expecting a decision on the opening of a third international route to connect Tartu with Helsinki.
-We have had meetings with Finncomm Airlines about this, and I think that we will see the opening of the route either later this autumn, or by spring 2010, says Mr Rein.
The runway at Tartu Airport has been extended from 1,379 to 1,800 m and new airfield lighting systems have been installed. The airport also plans to implement an ILS system from next spring.