Airport, Covid-19, EU – Baltic States, Latvia, Tourism, Transport

International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Friday, 29.03.2024, 02:53

Riga Airport might receive 2.5-3 mln passengers in 2020

BC, Riga, 28.07.2020.Print version
Riga International Airport might receive 2.5 to 3 million passengers this year, Liene Freivalde, director of the airport's aviation services and business development department, said in an interview to Latvian Radio, cites LETA.

"By now, we have restarted around 20 percent of passenger services as compared to last year, and the figure is growing by the week," Freivalde said, adding that currently it is possible to fly to 46 destinations from Riga. A year ago, carriers operating at Rig Airport were flying to more than 100 destinations.


If passenger numbers keep growing at the present rate, the airport might serve 2.5 to 3 million passengers in 2020, which would be a 60 to 70 percent reduction from 2019.


Considering the existing situation, the airport had to lay off some staff in June, the airport's representative said.


Riga Airport spokeswoman Laura Kulakova told LETA that the June layoffs were the same that had been announced already earlier. More than 300 people lost jobs at the airport in June, but there have been no additional job cuts, the spokeswoman said. 


Starting in August, the airport will gradually rehire its employees, mainly security staff. Kulakova could not specify the number of employees to be rehired. 


Freivalde also indicated that the situation with flights was changing each week depending on the epidemiological statistics in various countries. Passengers therefore have to be very careful and follow information not only about safety requirements at Riga Airport but also about possible changes in the flight schedule.


As reported, in April this year, Riga Airport projected passenger numbers to drop to 1.6 million this year and to grow to 4.6 million in 2021.


In 2019, Riga Airport served 7.798 million passengers, up 10.5 percent against 2018. In the first half of 2020, the airport handled 1.32 million passengers, down 62.9 percent from the respective period in 2019.


Riga Airport is the largest aviation hub in the Baltics.






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