Airport, Baltic States – CIS, EU – Baltic States, Good for Business, Latvia, Transport

Belorussian national airline Belavia, Central and Eastern European low-cost airline Wizz Air, Rumanian national airline Tarom, Ukrainian national airline AeroSvit and Russian airlines UTair Aviation and Transaero launched flights from Riga International Airport in 2010, writes LETA.

Flights to 12 new destinations were launched from Riga International Airport last year – in Scandinavia, Southern Europe, Middle East and Eastern Europe.

Since March 2010, the airport offers flights to Rumania's capital Bucharest, Finland's cities of Kuusamo and Vaasa, since May – to Serbia's capital Belgrade, since June – Jordan's capital Amman, Lebanon's capital Beirut, Madrid, and Sweden's Visby in Gotland, since July – Finland's Lulea and Russia's northern city Arkhangelsk, and since Novemebr – to Finland's cities Kitula and Rovaniemi.

As reported, Riga International Airport serviced 4.66 million passengers last year, which is 15% or 597,108 people more than in 2009.

In 2010, the airport handled 68,145 aircraft or 13% more than in 2009, when 60,087 aircraft were handled.

The airport handled 12,247 tons of various cargo last year, which is by one-third more than in 2009 (9,431 tons).

This year, the airport's passenger turnover could increase 5%, thanks to more capacious aircraft, whereas the number of flights from the airport is to grow almost 4% as the airport plans to bring back some of the airlines that previously halted flights to Riga, the airport's board chairman Arnis Luhse said previously.

In December 2010, the airport's passenger turnover was 323,522 passengers – almost 2% up from December 2009. The number of flights to/from the airport and cargo turnover also increased, by almost 7% and 14% respectively.

Riga Airport currently offers flights to 82 destinations.