Latvia's Competition Council imposed an 8,900 lat (12,700 euro) fine on Scandinavian-owned Latvija Statoil for taking over another fuel trader before receiving the council's approval. The council said Statoil's application to take over Regal, a company based in Valmiera, was received on July 25, though it had been selling gas at the Regal filling station starting May 10. Latvija Statoil explained that the sales were carried out under a short-term lease for market research purposes, but the Competition Council found that the agreement between Latvija Statoil and Regal had not been short-term.
Baltia Air Lines, a U.S.-based company, said it might launch direct commercial flights between Riga and New York next year, President Igor Dmitrovsky told the Russian-language Telegraf paper. He did not specify when the flights could be launched, though he did say the airline would use its 316-seat Boeing for the flight, which would take place twice a week.
