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Monday, 06.01.2025, 08:23
Līce: Riga Airport is Experiencing the Fastest Development in Its History
Riga
Airport wound up the year 2018 with a significant increase in all its key
performance indicators: operational data on the operating results of 2018 show
that last year the Airport served 7.06 mln passengers - almost 16% more
than a year before. The volume of cargo increased by 10.4%, exceeding 27
thousand tons, while the volume of flights increased by 11.5% with Riga Airport
handling 83.5 thousand aircraft in 2018.
According
to Līce, this increase significantly exceeds the average indicators of European
airports - the data of Airport Council International (ACI) show that in the 3rd
quarter of 2018 the average number of passengers in Europe increased by only
5%. The rapid increase in its passenger figures last year allowed Riga Airport
to repeatedly enter the TOP 5 of fastest growing European airports handling
5-10 mln passengers annually. “According to the latest ACI data, Riga
Airport was the third fastest growing airport in its group also in the third
quarter of last year, only lagging behind Spain's sixth busiest domestic
airport in Seville and Sicily's second largest airport Palermo. In turn, in a
study recently published by the international aviation data analysis company
“VariFlight”, Riga Airport was recognised as the seventh most punctual airport
in Europe in 2018,” notes Līce.
“This
outcome is the result of purposeful work and long-term strategy. Previous
years, we developed aerodrome and infrastructure related to passenger aircraft
service, but from this year on we will focus on the expansion of passenger
service infrastructure and development of cargo sector. In today's global
world, well-developed infrastructure and low costs are the main weapons of
competition among airports,” says Līce.
In 2019,
the Airport will begin the implementation of terminal expansion stage 6, under
which a new public terminal and the related infrastructure will be constructed.
The new terminal will have both a modern and spacious passenger check-in area,
a security control area and baggage reclaim and sorting facilities, as well as
restaurants, cafés and shops. This will solve passenger service capacity issues
that are currently being dealt with by introducing temporary improvements in
the public part of the old terminal built in 1974, for example by extending the
existing baggage belts, accommodating additional baggage sorting facilities,
expanding the waiting area before security controls and increasing the number
of check-in desks.
“The new
Airport terminal will be connected to the “Rail Baltica” railway station,
creating a unified passenger service complex and providing passengers with a
convenient and fast connection not only to the capital of Latvia, but also to
the entire “Rail Baltica” railway network covering the Baltic States, Poland
and Finland,” says Līce.
Together
with the stage 6 construction, the Airport is also planning an extensive
development of its cargo-handling infrastructure. Already in 2019, the
construction of a new cargo platform with an underground refuelling system will
start; it will allow more large-fuselage aircraft to be served at the Airport
and will relieve pressure on the current apron aircraft stands. In cooperation
with investors, it is planned to develop a modern cargo logistics centre with
an area of over 10 000 square metres. “Even though Riga Airport is
already serving half of all Baltic aircraft, the cargo sector has great
potential for development. The Airport's experience of handling Chinese
e-commerce cargo last year demonstrates our ability to compete in this area,”
says the Airport's manager.
At the same
time, the Airport is also working on other infrastructure and technology development
projects. Within the framework of the Cohesion Fund project “Development of
Secure and Environmentally Friendly Infrastructure at Riga International
Airport”, it is planned to modernise and expand the taxiing routes, to rebuild
the access roads to the public part of the aerodrome, to reconstruct the
technical service building, as well as to upgrade the rainwater sewerage system
and lighting infrastructure.
Riga
Airport was one of the first airports in Europe to launch (with the support of
the Cohesion Fund) the implementation of the innovative “follow the green”
aircraft guidance and control system. As part of the project, the taxiing
routes were equipped with special centreline lights, which allow aircraft to
taxi faster and safer under limited visibility conditions.
Līce
emphasises that the decision made by the Cabinet of Ministers last year to
allow the company to divert its profit for its development is of key importance
for the implementation of the Airport’s development plans. 23% of the profit of
2017 will be paid out in dividends, but 77% will be redirected for development;
in the next four years, 80% of the profit will be channelled to Airport’s
development projects. All Airport development projects will be financed from
the company's own resources without state budget support. The total planned medium-term
investment is EUR 139 mln.
The Airport
continues to expand and improve the services available to passengers through
the implementation of ambitious development projects. Last year, #investEU
information stand - an educationally entertaining children's playground - was
opened in the Airport's new North Pier; it is also worth mentioning that last
autumn the Airport significantly increased the number of free baby carriages
available at the Airport. For the convenience of passengers, Samsung work and
rest area with 50 mobile charging stations was opened in the North Pier at the
end of 2018. This year, it is planned to build a moving walkway in the gallery
connecting terminals B and C, as well as to continue cooperation with the State
Border Guard in order to speed up and make the border control process more
convenient for passengers. It is planned to continue the expansion of car parks
in 2019 by increasing the capacity of the long-term car park P3 with 640
parking spaces. Since last year, passengers can easily get to the terminal from
both long-term car parks with a free Airport shuttle service.
Riga
Airport is not only an important object of transport infrastructure, but it
also facilitates the national economy and re-emigration of Latvian nationals.
Last year, the Airport launched a wide-ranging recruitment campaign aimed at
both - those living abroad and job seekers from Latvia. For this purpose, a
special Airport job vacancy portal www.darbslidosta.lv has been created, where current job offers are updated daily and anyone
interested can apply on-line for the vacant positions. Last year, Riga Airport
was recognised as the fairest payer in Latvia in the Latvian labour market
survey conducted by Fontes human resources management consultancy and
research company.
The Airport
pays great attention to environmental issues. In 2018, a new action plan for
reducing aircraft noise in nearby areas was developed in cooperation with local
authorities, state institutions and other stakeholders. Last year, the Airport
started environmental monitoring in forests in the Airport vicinity and
launched assessment of the impact of its activity on nearby forests.
Riga
International Airport is the third fastest growing airport in Europe according
to the Airport Council International (ACI) report on airport performance in
Europe in the 3rd quarter of 2018. The 20 airlines operating at Riga Airport
offer more than 70 destinations in the winter season and 100 in the summer
season. In 2018, Riga Airport handled over 7 mln passengers – 45% of the
entire Baltic air passenger traffic.