newstodate.aero
Apr 04, 2012 (newstodate): Latvia's Riga Airport is in dire need for a larger passenger terminal - but the project is still in the air.
On the table - but still only a wishing list - is a plan comprising four phases, with construction of a new pier and a link to the existing terminal area as a first step, followed by the construction of a new baggage sorting system with demolition of the existing bus lounge and the original octagonal terminal as the second phase.
Third to come would be an enlargement of the check-in area as well as construction of a multi-storey car park, and finally an extension of the existing passenger pier in a fourth phase.
The plans build on the assumption of an increase in passenger volumes to six or seven mio in 2014, and up to 10-11 mio in 2032, compared to 5.1 mio in 2011.
-So far the government and the Ministry of Transportation have responded positively to our plan for the strategic development of the airport, and the next step would be to start technical design and budgeting, says Andis Damlics, Riga Airport member of the board, responsible for Infrastructure Development and Airfield Operations.
-The problem remains, however, that the Latvian state has no funding of this project at this stage and it remains uncertain when this might be achieved, considering also the state's obligations towards securing the continued development of the Latvian carrier airBaltic.
-A solution might be changing the ownership structure of the now 100 percent state-owned airport, but the list of state ventures to be privatized does not currently include Riga Airport, leaving only a public-private-partnership, PPP, as a viable and potential solution to attract external co-financing.
-Se we are not able to foresee when the long-overdue development of the airport's infrastructure may be launched. The risk is that once the planned infrastructure project is completed, it may already be overtaken by an increase in passenger volumes, says Mr Damlics.
The technical capacity of the existing passenger terminal was reached already in 2007, and since then several plans have been vented, but none have been finally endorsed for various political and financial reasons.
On the table - but still only a wishing list - is a plan comprising four phases, with construction of a new pier and a link to the existing terminal area as a first step, followed by the construction of a new baggage sorting system with demolition of the existing bus lounge and the original octagonal terminal as the second phase.
Third to come would be an enlargement of the check-in area as well as construction of a multi-storey car park, and finally an extension of the existing passenger pier in a fourth phase.
The plans build on the assumption of an increase in passenger volumes to six or seven mio in 2014, and up to 10-11 mio in 2032, compared to 5.1 mio in 2011.
-So far the government and the Ministry of Transportation have responded positively to our plan for the strategic development of the airport, and the next step would be to start technical design and budgeting, says Andis Damlics, Riga Airport member of the board, responsible for Infrastructure Development and Airfield Operations.
-The problem remains, however, that the Latvian state has no funding of this project at this stage and it remains uncertain when this might be achieved, considering also the state's obligations towards securing the continued development of the Latvian carrier airBaltic.
-A solution might be changing the ownership structure of the now 100 percent state-owned airport, but the list of state ventures to be privatized does not currently include Riga Airport, leaving only a public-private-partnership, PPP, as a viable and potential solution to attract external co-financing.
-Se we are not able to foresee when the long-overdue development of the airport's infrastructure may be launched. The risk is that once the planned infrastructure project is completed, it may already be overtaken by an increase in passenger volumes, says Mr Damlics.
The technical capacity of the existing passenger terminal was reached already in 2007, and since then several plans have been vented, but none have been finally endorsed for various political and financial reasons.