Airport, Latvia, Legislation, Transport

airBaltic claims that the airport compensate the airline almost LVL 6 million because the airport has not provided constructive suggestions to ensure equal competition for all airlines that operate flights to or from the airport, and airBaltic has to pay the airport almost twice as much for every passenger as the Irish airline Ryanair pays.

At the beginning of July, airBaltic turned to the Competition Council, asking that the Riga Airport's unfair practices be investigated.

Riga Airport's board member Janis Kuzulis explained earlier this week that the airport's agreement with Ryanair was signed in 2004 and then a supplementary agreement was signed in 2007. These documents are confidential, therefore the airport will not be able to comment on them. The agreements will be in force until 2014, and the current airport tariff for Ryanair will remain unchanged until that time. The airport cannot change this tariff, said Kuzulis.

The Competition Council could decide on whether to open a case on the dispute between airBaltic and the Riga Airport on August 5, as the Competition Council informed the business portal Nozare.lv.

If necessary though, the Competition Council may take two more months to evaluate airBaltic claim.

Riga International Airport at the beginning of this week turned to the Riga Regional Court, claiming that a debt of more than LVL 2.5 million be levied from airBaltic.

The airport asked the court to arrest airBaltic payments to third parties, as well as the airline's funds in credit institutions and other financial institutions, to secure its claim. According to the airport, airBaltic ran up the debt of more than LVL 2.5 million by not paying for various airport services since end-2009.