Airport, Latvia, Transport

Starting from May 5, airBaltic, the sole owner of the airport's Solo business-class club, charges the other airlines EUR 60 (LVL 42) per each business-class passenger, compared to LVL 9 that the airlines used to have to pay to the airport in the past.

Although the airport offers the airlines to use the VIP terminal, the airlines point out that the terminal does not meet their requirements, besides, the airport fee for using the VIP terminal, LVL 40, is also too high.

The foreign airlines inform in a letter that not having access to the business-class lounge is a significant obstacle to their cooperation with the airport in the long term.

Furthermore, all the airlines that have signed the letter point out that they had signed permanent agreements on using "Solo" club. Therefore the airlines believe that these agreements are still valid, and the airport must ensure these airlines' business-class passengers’ access to "Solo" club.

If the airport is unable to reach agreement with airBaltic over Solo club, the airlines, including LOT, Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa and others, claim that the airport build a new business-class lounge, which would cost the airlines as much as they had to pay for Solo club, by September 1 this year at the latest.

airBaltic representative Janis Vanags, on the other hand, rejects the foreign airlines' allegations. According to Vanags, airBaltic has significantly improved the business-class lunge's services, which is the reason why the charges were increased, albeit not to EUR 60 per passenger as the airlines claim.

airBaltic has also carried out an analysis of business-class lounge costs at airports in the neighbor countries, and the current charges are in line with the market situation.