newstodate.aero
Nov 22, 2010 (newstodate): Latvia's Ventspils International Airport hopes to start runway extension works early in 2011 and see the opening of the new runway before the end of next year.
Earlier this year, the airport won approval from the government to apply for EU Cohesion Fund support to its development plans, and it is now finalizing the notification to EU to get the final financial approval of the project.
-As money will still be limited, we have scaled down the project by dividing it into stages, says Ints Selis, Ventspils International Airport manager.
-We would certainly like to extend the runway by 500 m to 1,800 m, but we are now limiting ourselves to a runway extension to 1,500 m in a first stage. With a 1,800 m runway we would be able to handle commercial traffic by aircraft up to the size of Boeing 737 and Airbus A320, but with a 1,500 m runway we will still be able to handle traffic by turboprop aircraft like ATR and Fokker that are widely used in this region.
-Our eventual hope is still to attract an operator to launch traffic to Scandinavia, but this remains a long-term goal, says Mr Selis.
The airport expects to end 2010 with a 10 percent increase in passenger volumes, mainly on seasonal charter flights.
Earlier this year, the airport won approval from the government to apply for EU Cohesion Fund support to its development plans, and it is now finalizing the notification to EU to get the final financial approval of the project.
-As money will still be limited, we have scaled down the project by dividing it into stages, says Ints Selis, Ventspils International Airport manager.
-We would certainly like to extend the runway by 500 m to 1,800 m, but we are now limiting ourselves to a runway extension to 1,500 m in a first stage. With a 1,800 m runway we would be able to handle commercial traffic by aircraft up to the size of Boeing 737 and Airbus A320, but with a 1,500 m runway we will still be able to handle traffic by turboprop aircraft like ATR and Fokker that are widely used in this region.
-Our eventual hope is still to attract an operator to launch traffic to Scandinavia, but this remains a long-term goal, says Mr Selis.
The airport expects to end 2010 with a 10 percent increase in passenger volumes, mainly on seasonal charter flights.