newstodate.aero

Dec 08, 2022 (newstodate): The closure of the Russian airspace has a deep impact on cargo volumes handled at Latvia's Riga Airport in 2022.
   During the first 11 months of this year, the airport has been handling a total of 19,168 tonnes of cargo - a sharp decline by 20.6 percent, y-o-y.
   The drop in total cargo volumes is due largely to the shortfall of all-cargo and freighter traffic at Riga Airport; since September 18, 2021, Venipak had been offering a weekly Hong Kong-Riga-Hong Kong freighter service with a Boeing 737-800BCF operated by the Russian carrier Atran Airlines, further boosted by the addition of a second rotation on the route from October 27, 2021.
   The fresh capacity contributed significantly to the cargo volumes at Riga Airport in 2021 - but the traffic came to a stop as Russia launched its war against Ukraine in February 2022.
   However, behind the over-all drop in volumes this year a new positive trend is developing: the volume of belly cargo on passenger aircraft has increased by 24 percent, y-o-y, to 8,692 tonnes as cargo owners look for new cargo routes and opportunities as the passenger traffic picks up again.