Construction Company Binders to Reconstruct Riga Airport’s Apron No. 4

Through an open tender, the road construction company SIA Binders has been awarded the contract to carry out construction works for the reconstruction of Apron No. 4 at RIX Riga Airport, a project supported by European Union funds.

The strategically important infrastructure development project, titled “Reconstruction of Apron No. 4 at Riga International Airport to Ensure Dual-Use TEN-T Infrastructure for Civil and Military Purposes”, is co-financed by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). It involves complete reconstruction of the apron’s hard surface, covering more than 80,000 square metres. The new layout will include aircraft stands for A–E class aircraft in ten different configurations, as well as taxiing and service roads.

The reconstruction will provide Riga Airport with additional aircraft parking capacity, including for wide-body aircraft, enabling the Airport to accommodate all types of cargo and military aircraft. The upgraded apron will also contribute to military mobility, which is particularly important in the current geopolitical climate, and will expand the cargo handling area.

As part of the project, a new electrical substation will be built to supply lighting and power to the apron and aircraft stands in accordance with the latest EU requirements. The project also includes the construction of equipment storage areas for aircraft servicing, installation of a new airfield lighting system, reconstruction of lighting masts and floodlights, and the implementation of new video surveillance and rainwater drainage systems.

The total contract value for the construction works is EUR 22.8 million. The reconstruction is scheduled to be completed by December 2027.

Riga Airport’s development strategy envisions the creation of a cargo handling zone — a “cargo city” — around Aprons 4 and 5. In 2020, a specialised cargo apron was commissioned in this area, followed by the opening of DHL’s regional shipment processing and logistics centre in 2021. Adjacent to it, the national airline airBaltic has built its own cargo logistics centre, the Baltic Cargo Hub.

Currently, Riga Airport handles 37% of all air cargo in the Baltic States.