newstodate.aero
Jan 27, 2011 (newstodate): Slightly behind schedule, Latvia's Ventspils International Airport is still pressing ahead with its projected airport development.
-On December 1, 2010, we submitted a state aid notification to the EU and now are waiting for a positive processing. We expect to receive a reply in February this year, says Ints Selis, Ventspils International Airport Chairman of the Board.
-When this process has been completed, the Latvian Ministry of Transport will be able to proceed with the activity and send us an invitation to submit the project. We are thus expecting to start runway extension works in July this year, says Mr Selis.
Earlier, hopes were to start the runway project already by early 2011 and see the commissioning of the runway extension before the end of this year.
According to the revised plans, the runway will be extended from currently 1,300 to 1,500m in the first phase, allowing for handling of traffic by turboprop aircraft like ATR and Fokker 50 that are widely used in the region.
In a next stage, the airport would like to extend the runway further to 1,800m facilitating the handling of commercial traffic by aircraft up to the size of Boeing 737 and Airbus A320.
In 2010, Ventspils International Airport saw its passenger volumes up by 48 percent, to 1,422 passengers, primarily military and state border control staff.
On April 11, 2008, the Latvian carrier airBaltic launched the first regular service with Fokker 50 aircraft between Ventspils and Riga Airport, but the twice-daily flights were suspended after a short period for lack of volume.
-On December 1, 2010, we submitted a state aid notification to the EU and now are waiting for a positive processing. We expect to receive a reply in February this year, says Ints Selis, Ventspils International Airport Chairman of the Board.
-When this process has been completed, the Latvian Ministry of Transport will be able to proceed with the activity and send us an invitation to submit the project. We are thus expecting to start runway extension works in July this year, says Mr Selis.
Earlier, hopes were to start the runway project already by early 2011 and see the commissioning of the runway extension before the end of this year.
According to the revised plans, the runway will be extended from currently 1,300 to 1,500m in the first phase, allowing for handling of traffic by turboprop aircraft like ATR and Fokker 50 that are widely used in the region.
In a next stage, the airport would like to extend the runway further to 1,800m facilitating the handling of commercial traffic by aircraft up to the size of Boeing 737 and Airbus A320.
In 2010, Ventspils International Airport saw its passenger volumes up by 48 percent, to 1,422 passengers, primarily military and state border control staff.
On April 11, 2008, the Latvian carrier airBaltic launched the first regular service with Fokker 50 aircraft between Ventspils and Riga Airport, but the twice-daily flights were suspended after a short period for lack of volume.