newstodate.aero
Jan 21, 2011 (newstodate): The debate over the need for a new passenger terminals at Latvia's Riga Airport has had its twists and turns, with state and national carrier in a row over which way to take - and how fast to move.
The Latvian state recently installed a new airport board, headed by Arnis Luhse as chairman, and this heralds hopes for an early conclusion to the debate.
-The airport is currently updating the terminal expansion plan developed in 2007 by adding the specific requirements of low-cost carriers and the solution for dividing the passenger flows from the Schengen/Non-Schengen areas, says Sarmite Bunka-Brilijonka, Riga Airport Press secretary.
-In March this year the airport will present the updated version of the plan, together with the estimates of the necessary funding for this project, to the Council for Coordination of Large Investments. Then the government will decide, which of the proposals - the updated airport terminal expansion plan or the project of the terminal developed by the carrier airBaltic - should be implemented.
-In the opinion of Arnis Luhse, chairman of the board of Riga International Airport, the updated airport terminal expansion plan of 2007 would be preferable for the airport, considering the current passenger traffic, as its capacity would be up to 10 million passengers per year, says Ms Bunka-Brilijonka.
In March 2009, the Turkish company TAV, together with its Latvian partner Skonto Buve, won the tender for construction of the planned passenger terminal and development of a second runway by the middle of 2010, aiming at completing the first stage by June, 2012.
Then, in autumn 2009, the Latvian state withdrew from the agreement with TAV, prompting the Latvian carrier airBaltic into spearheading the realization of the project without any state investments.
In June 2010, airBaltic and the Turkish company TAV Airports Holding A.S. set up a Joint Venture for the development, construction and operation of a new passenger terminal at Riga International Airport, and a tender for the architectural design of the terminal was opened.
The Latvian state recently installed a new airport board, headed by Arnis Luhse as chairman, and this heralds hopes for an early conclusion to the debate.
-The airport is currently updating the terminal expansion plan developed in 2007 by adding the specific requirements of low-cost carriers and the solution for dividing the passenger flows from the Schengen/Non-Schengen areas, says Sarmite Bunka-Brilijonka, Riga Airport Press secretary.
-In March this year the airport will present the updated version of the plan, together with the estimates of the necessary funding for this project, to the Council for Coordination of Large Investments. Then the government will decide, which of the proposals - the updated airport terminal expansion plan or the project of the terminal developed by the carrier airBaltic - should be implemented.
-In the opinion of Arnis Luhse, chairman of the board of Riga International Airport, the updated airport terminal expansion plan of 2007 would be preferable for the airport, considering the current passenger traffic, as its capacity would be up to 10 million passengers per year, says Ms Bunka-Brilijonka.
In March 2009, the Turkish company TAV, together with its Latvian partner Skonto Buve, won the tender for construction of the planned passenger terminal and development of a second runway by the middle of 2010, aiming at completing the first stage by June, 2012.
Then, in autumn 2009, the Latvian state withdrew from the agreement with TAV, prompting the Latvian carrier airBaltic into spearheading the realization of the project without any state investments.
In June 2010, airBaltic and the Turkish company TAV Airports Holding A.S. set up a Joint Venture for the development, construction and operation of a new passenger terminal at Riga International Airport, and a tender for the architectural design of the terminal was opened.