Aviation is one of the most growing area in the transport sector of Latvia. Besides Riga airport in Latvia there are two smaller airports: in Liepaja and Ventspils.
Riga Airport is the largest air traffic hub in the Baltic States. Thanks to successful development of infrastructure, the growth of the Latvian national airline airBaltic, a competitive tariff policy, and use of advantages of the geographic position, Riga Airport aims to become a regional air traffic centre in Northern Europe.
This ambitious goal can be reached by strengthening and increasing the direct connectivity from Riga, maintaining a high number of transfer passengers, offering advanced and high-level services to passengers, optimising processes, introducing innovations, and promoting the development of the aviation industry, as well as keeping and attracting highly qualified specialists.
In accordance with Riga Airport operational strategy for 2027, called Runway 2027, the turnover of the Airport in 2027 is expected in the amount of 77 million euros, and the total investments during the effective period of the strategy will exceed 247 million euros. It is expected to service nine million passengers and 48 500 tonnes of air cargo annually by 2027.
The future strategy of the Airport also provides for the development of the airport city concept offering not only aviation services, but also smart business ecosystems, excellent connections, and new opportunities both to residents and development of business unrelated directly to the aviation industry.
The centre of Riga Airport future city will include the new passenger terminal of the Airport with an area of 30 000 square metres servicing up to 12 million passengers annually. It will be connected to the Rail Baltica railway station and will form a unified and multimodal transport hub. The airport business city, RIX Airport City, will be developed around it, including hotels, office centres, warehouses for logistics, air cargo, and e-commerce. It will give development opportunities for various businesses and create new jobs.
Airport strategy Runway 2027 provides for the implementation of measures in the area of sustainability so that long-term business measures, strategic purposes and tasks of the Airport could be achieved with a responsible and balanced activity in all aspects of sustainability influencing climate changes, effective use of resources, goals in environment and nature protection, employment, transparent management, involvement of the local community, and noise reduction.
By joining the international Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) programme and Airport Council International (ACI EUROPE), and Net Zero 2050 initiative, the Airport has determined its green deal and has set specific climate goals with a commitment to become a climate-neutral airport by 2050.