With the continued reduced passenger flow, Riga Airport closed the first quarter of 2021 with a loss of 6.5 million euros, which is 624 thousand euros less than forecast in the budget.
According to the Airport's unaudited interim report for the first quarter of the year, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the operation of Riga Airport in the first quarter of 2021 remained high, with the Airport operating with a turnover of 4.3 million euros, which is 14% less than originally planned. A total of 108 thousand passengers were served at the airport in the first three months of this year.
With the continued reduced passenger flow, Riga Airport closed the first quarter of 2021 with a loss of 6.5 million euros, which is 624 thousand euros less than forecast in the budget.
“The global Covid-19 pandemic continues to have a significant negative impact on the aviation industry worldwide, and the recovery of the industry is closely linked to countries' ability to fight the pandemic, including through comprehensive vaccination. The introduction of the Digital Green Certificate proposed by the European Commission will have a positive impact on the aviation sector in the coming months, which will ensure a positive effect on the growth of the number of travellers and the recovery of the aviation sector,” says Laila Odiņa, Chairperson of the Board of Riga Airport.
In 2021, Riga Airport has planned investments in the total amount of 17.6 million euros.
They will be used to implement a number of projects already co-financed by the Cohesion Fund, including the construction of a rapid-exit taxiway, the renovation of runway and taxiway surfaces, the installation of apron centreline lights, the purchase of EDS equipment and other projects. It is also planned to use the funds for the development of the technical design of stage 6 of the Airport expansion – the new passenger terminal, renovation and reconstruction of substations and other investment projects.
Looking to the future, a number of large-scale investment projects were implemented at Riga Airport in 2020, including the launch of a new specialized cargo apron, which is the centre around which the Airport's cargo city or RIX Cargo City is to be developed in the future. Apron 2, which is intended for servicing business aircraft, has also been expanded, a helipad has been built; the Airport also renewed the pavement on part of the runway and taxiways. The new rapid-exit taxiway and apron centreline lights will allow the Airport to become more environmentally friendly by reducing CO2 emissions. The total amount of investments last year amounted to 13.9 million euros.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
