Significant increase in destinations and flights from RIGA International Airport this summer season
On 28 March the summer flight schedule sets in and already in April there will be 1268 regular flights per week to 82 direct destinations available at RIGA International Airport.
Compared with the summer schedule of 2009, the number of regular flights has grown. Last year in April there were on average 1170 direct flights per week from RIGA International Airport whereas this year in April their number will be close to 1300. Moreover, the number of flights in the next summer months will keep increasing significantly as new flights are opened at RIGA International Airport.
Krišjānis Peters, Chairman of the Board, said: „Over the last couple of years when the aviation market in Europe saw a dramatic downturn in air traffic RIGA International Airport has not only held its position, but made serious input in its further growth and competitive edge in the region. We have managed to seize the opportunities provided by the global recession in the aviation industry and become an important air traffic hub in the Baltic Sea region. Arrival of new airlines, increasing number of flights and opening of new destinations from RIGA International Airport demonstrate the strength of the airlines and invariable attraction of Riga as a tourist and business destination and a convenient transfer point for further air travel. The work accomplished so far provides a wide choice of options in terms of flight geography and regularity. Air traffic from RIGA International Airport is convenient and versatile for the passengers."
In comparison with 2009, RIGA International Airport this year welcomes four new airlines: - the Belarusian national carrier Belavia operating flights to Minsk, WizzAir - the largest low-cost carrier in Central and Eastern Europe, flying to Oslo (Torp), Turku and London (Luton), the Romanian flag carrier TAROM flying to Bucharest and a Swedish carrier City Airline flying to Gothenburg.
New destinations from RIGA International Airport in 2010:
No Destination Date Airline
1. Amman (Jordan) 01.06.2010 airBaltic
2. Madrid (Spain) 02.06.2010 airBaltic
3. Rovaniemi (Finland) 31.05.2010 airBaltic
4. Koosamo (Finland) 28.05.2010 airBaltic
5. Beirut (Lebanon) 02.06.2010 airBaltic
6. Umea (Sweden) 29.03.2010 airBaltic
7. Belgrade (Serbia) 05.05.2010 airBaltic
8. Vaasa (Finland) 29.03.2010 airBaltic
9. Visby (Sweden) 04.06.2010 airBaltic
10. Luleå (Sweden) 02.06.2010 airBaltic
11. London (Luton) (U.K.) 30.03.2010 WizzAir
12. Turku (Finland) 14.03.2010 WizzAir
13. Oslo (Torp) (Norway) 13.03.2010 WizzAir
14. Bucharest (Romania)To be confirmed TAROM
15. Minsk (Belarus) 19.01.2010 Belavia
16. Oslo (Rygge) (Norway) 28.03.2010 Ryanair
17. Gothenburg (Sweden) 19.04.2010 City Airline
In the summer season of 2010 the following airlines will operate flights from RIGA International Airport: airBaltic, SmartLynx, Lufthansa, Finnair, Ryanair, LOT, Czech Airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Turkish Airlines, Aeroflot, Uzbekistan Airways, WizzAir, WindJet, Belavia, TAROM, City Airline.