A new specialized cargo handling platform was opened at Riga Airport on Friday, the airport representatives inform.
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The new platform covers an area of 95,000 square meters in the northern part of the aerodrome and is directly connected to the territory where the “cargo city” of the airport “Riga” will be developed – the air cargo service and logistics center. The logistics company’s DHL regional parcel handling complex will start operating here next year, as well as in cooperation with investors it is planned to develop a multifunctional cargo logistics center with a total warehouse area of up to 9,000 square meters.
The total capacity of the airport “cargo city” will exceed 60,000 tons per year, allowing Riga “airport” to double the cargo turnover in the coming years.
“Riga International Airport was, is and will be the center of Latvian and Baltic aviation not only in the field of passenger transportation and business aviation, but also in the air cargo segment. The opening of the new cargo platform is another proof of this. It is especially important now to continue purposeful work diversification of cargo and development of appropriate infrastructure. Government support to the aviation sector during the crisis – both to the national carrier “airBaltic“Both Latvian Air Traffic and the airport have sustainable investments for future development,” says Minister of Transport Tālis Linkaits.
“The development of the cargo segment is especially important for the airport at a time when passenger traffic is significantly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Riga Airport can already offer multimodal logistics solutions and high quality service to its partners. To facilitate the entry of new carriers and increase air cargo turnover , the main task of the airport is to create a suitable infrastructure and a favorable cooperation platform, “said Laila Odiņa, the Chairman of the Board of Riga Airport.
Within the framework of the project, a platform and a connecting shunting road with a total volume of 36,770 square meters, as well as new service roads with a total surface area of asphalt concrete of 14,970 square meters have been built. Ramp multifunctional aircraft stands allow flexible planning of aircraft layout and accommodate even the largest F and E class aircraft, while the underground refueling hydrant system significantly increases aircraft refueling and thus service speeds and reduces the risk of environmental pollution. An energy-efficient lighting control system is installed in the territory.
Construction work on the new platform began in March 2019, and the total investment in the project is 15 million euros.
The volume of air cargo transportation in Latvia consists of four areas of activity – export and import of high value-added goods, transportation of mail and e-commerce goods, transit air cargo handling and transit of non-military cargo in the Northern Security Corridor established for the needs of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). The involvement of JSC “Latvijas pasts” in the global e-commerce parcel transportation segment also contributes, in cooperation with the Chinese e-commerce giant “Alibaba” and the Russian Post is creating a successful logistics solution, as a result of which occasional cargo charter flights have been operated to Riga since 2017. from China.
Cargo transportation at Riga Airport is provided by seven airlines – cargo carriers “Atlas Air”, “Atran”, “Eleron” and “RAF Avia” and courier companies “Fedex”, UPS and DHL.
Last year, 27.2 thousand tons of cargo were handled at Riga Airport, but in the first nine months of this year – 16 thousand tons of cargo. The cargo turnover of Riga Airport makes up more than half of the total cargo turnover of the Baltic States.
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