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Air Traffic Tendencies in Latvia
In December 1944, when Franklin Roosevelt and his peers signed the Chicago Convention, which contains the basic rules for civil aviation, they emphasized that the future development of international civil aviation can greatly help and preserve friendship and understanding among the nations and peoples of the world. Over sixty years later, this vision has become an evident reality, to such an extent that air transport is now accepted as a fundamental pillar of our global society, as indispensable to our daily lives as medicine and telecommunications, and essential for social progress and economic prosperity. [1]
Riga airport was built in the present location in October 1974. However, it remained unknown for the world operating as the local airport within the former USSR. Only in 1991 Riga destination appeared in the timetables of well-known Western airlines - first SAS, then Lufthansa. During this period Riga airport has implemented several important modernization and expansion projects. The lounge for business class passengers and VIP centre was opened, and Flight Information Display System (FIDS) and Common Use Terminal Equipment System (CUTE) has been installed.…
Last year (2007) for the first time in its history the airport served its 3 000 000th passenger within one calendar year, the passenger in question arrived in Riga from Berlin on December 10 on an “EasyJet” flight. In the last year (2007) the “Rīga” Airport has served 3 160 954 passengers. In 2007 Riga international airport served 83% more passengers than Tallinn and 84% more than Vilnius. Among the airports of the Baltic States Riga Airport experienced the highest passenger growth during 2006. These 3 160 954 passengers in year 2007 places “Riga Airport” in Second Highest Increase of Passengers amongst European Airports in the category from one to five million of passengers serviced annually, Riga Airport experienced the second fastest increase of passengers in 2007 in comparison with the previous year according to a report of passenger traffic just issued by the European Organization of Airports Council International. Compared to 2006, the number of the passengers serviced has increased by 26.7% pushing Riga Airport into second position in terms of the increase in the number of passengers in the group of European small airports.
