RIGA - Riga International Airport has announced that it handled 994,877 passengers during the first seven months of the year, up 84.6 percent from the same period in 2004.
During the same period the airport also saw the number of flights serviced jump 29.4 percent to 19,454, while cargo handling surged 69.2 percent to 10,605 tons.
In July alone, the airport served 184,018 passengers, up 73.7 percent compared with last summer, and saw 3005 flights, up 16 percent.
The number of passengers served in July is the highest figure per month for the past several years.
Dzintars Pomers, airport president, has predicted that the terminal would handle some 1.8 million passengers this year, not far off the Transport Ministry's target of 2 million. He voiced hope that passenger growth, which took off with the arrival of discount airlines last fall, will persist throughout the year and many travelers would use the airport during the winter as well.
Pomers said the airport's goal is to "remain the cheapest, safest and best service provider in this part of Europe."
Transport Minister Ainars Slesers told reporters that last year many people refused to believe that lowering airport duties and introducing discounts would allow the airport to serve 2 million passengers. Time, he said, has proved the skeptics wrong.
"I am satisfied that we have left behind both Lithuanians and Estonians," said Slesers, who led efforts to bring in discount airlines and boost passenger turnover.
The minister also said he was satisfied with the development and growth of airBaltic, the national air carrier, not just to the West but also eastwards. In the future, the eastern market could develop even more considering Latvia's geographical position in the EU, he said.
Earlier Slesers suggested that the government sell its 51 percent stake in the airline to SAS, current owner of the remaining shares, but other Cabinet ministers have voiced disapproval of the idea.
Last year the airport served a total of 1 million passengers, up 49 percent from 2003.
