Company briefs - 2004-09-22

Ryanair has announced that it would expand services from Riga to Skavsta Airport in Stockholm beginning Feb. 21, 2005. A Boeing 737-800 will be used for all flights between Riga and Skavsta, which is located 110 kilometers from Stockholm. The airline's north European regional director claimed that Ryanair planned to handle 100,000 passengers a year on the route. Tickets have been priced at 14.99 lats (22.7 euros) one-way, including airport taxes. Ryanair, which will be launching flights to London, Frankfurt and Tampere as of Oct. 31, reported that it sees great potential at Riga Airport and plans to expand routes in the future.

The council of state-owned AS Tallinna Lennujaam (Tallinn Airport) has ordered management to look into possibilities of enacting further cuts in the airport's passenger tax. Council Chairman Tonu Ader was quoted as saying that management must first analyze the reduction's impact on the company's economic situation. "Since there have been negative reactions, an order was issued to look into the possibilities of meeting these [requirements]," he said. Low cost carriers such as EasyJet (which will start flying to Tallinn on Oct. 27) that are planning to launch flights to the capital have requested this reduction.

The head of Lithuania's nuclear safety watchdog said on Sept. 16 that the delay in certain preparatory activities would not prevent the country from stopping the first power unit of Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant on Jan. 1, 2005. "Not everything is going according to the predecommissioning program for the first reactor. The block can be stopped anytime, but this does not mean that the dismantling has to start immediately," said Saulius Kutas, head of the state nuclear safety inspection.