newstodate.aero

Feb 11, 2022 (newstodate): Latvia's Riga Airport has high ambitions for sustained development and a focal role in the Baltic region, set out in a new medium-term airport strategy until 2027, Runway 2027.
   The new strategy provides for achieving nine million passengers and 48,500 thousand tonnes of air cargo by 2027, as well as increased punctuality in departures.  
   The annual net turnover of the Airport in 2027 has been estimated in the amount of 77 million euros, while 247 million euros in total investment will be exceeded during the five-year period of the strategy.
  -The growth rates during the pre-pandemic years evidence stable leadership of Riga Airport in the Baltic States. Thanks to successful development of infrastructure, growth of the national carrier airBaltic, competitive tariff policy, and by using the advantages provided by the geographic location, Riga Airport has positioned itself as a regional air traffic hub in Northern Europe, says Laila Odiņa, Chairperson of Riga Airport Board, in a statement on the strategy.  
   -This ambitious goal can be achieved by strengthening and increasing the direct connectivity from Riga, maintaining a large number of transfer passengers, offering advanced services and a high service level to passengers, improving the effectiveness of processes, implementing innovations, and promoting the development of the aviation industry, as well as keeping and attracting highly qualified specialists.
   A future city center of Riga Airport will include the new 30,000 m2 airport passenger terminal with the capacity of handling up to 12 million passengers annually, and it will be connected with Rail Baltica railway station to form a unified and multi-modal transport hub.
   58 million euros have been allocated for investments into the aerodrome infrastructure, including both reconstruction and renovation of aircraft aprons and taxi-ways, as well as replacement of aerodrome transport machinery, full transition of apron lighting to LED, as well as other pertinent investments.    
   The airport business city RIX Business Park will be developed to offer hotels, office centers, logistics, air cargo and e-commerce warehouses, creating development possibilities for a great variety of businesses.
   In 2021, Riga Airport counted 2.35 million passengers, an increase of 17 percent y-o-y, but still down 70 percent compared to pr-Covid 2019. 22 percent of the passengers were transiting through Riga Airport
   The total volume of air cargo handled at Riga Airport in 2021 reached 27.9 thousand tonnes, up 20 percent y-o-y, and two percent up on 2019.