newstodate.aero
May 27, 2011 (newstodate): The technical capacity of the passenger terminal at Latvia's Riga Airport was reached in 2007 already, so all parties agree that the airport urgently needs construction of a new facility.
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 project has, however, been twisted again after the Latvian state recently installed a new airport board, headed by Arnis Luhse as chairman.
The Latvian carrier and the new management of the capital airport have obviously managed to engage in a common effort to find the ultimate solution to the pressing issue and are now working jointly on the project.
-Since the start of discussions about a new airport terminal, things have changed dramatically. Back then we envisaged for instance the need for a large check-in area to cope with increasing passenger volumes. Now most passengers check in over the internet, and instead we will need much more space in the transfer and departure areas, says Bertolt Flick, airBaltic President & CEO.
-In hindsight, I am today happy that we did not realize our earlier projects and can instead take the latest developments into account to arrive at the optimal solution for the future.
-The new government will now consider the revised project this autumn, and after that I am confident that we can launch the process for construction of the much-needed new airport passenger terminal, says Mr Flick.
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 project has, however, been twisted again after the Latvian state recently installed a new airport board, headed by Arnis Luhse as chairman.
The Latvian carrier and the new management of the capital airport have obviously managed to engage in a common effort to find the ultimate solution to the pressing issue and are now working jointly on the project.
-Since the start of discussions about a new airport terminal, things have changed dramatically. Back then we envisaged for instance the need for a large check-in area to cope with increasing passenger volumes. Now most passengers check in over the internet, and instead we will need much more space in the transfer and departure areas, says Bertolt Flick, airBaltic President & CEO.
-In hindsight, I am today happy that we did not realize our earlier projects and can instead take the latest developments into account to arrive at the optimal solution for the future.
-The new government will now consider the revised project this autumn, and after that I am confident that we can launch the process for construction of the much-needed new airport passenger terminal, says Mr Flick.