Riga Airport launches appeal

RIGA 's The RigaInternationalAirporthas launched an appeal against a Lithuanian court's decision to seize over 40 million lats (EUR 57 mln) worth of assets of Latvia's airBaltic national carrier and RigaAirport.

The airport's spokesman Martins Langrats said that the airport has appealed the ruling, the process is going on and no forecasts can be made yet on the outcome. AirBaltic had previously said that it would also appeal the ruling.

"The fact that a Lithuanian judge ruled to freeze our assets in another country, the property of the Latvian government, that was a ridiculous action," airBaltic's Vice President and Lithuanian chief Tadas Vizgirda told The Baltic Times.

"It is embarrassing to Lithuaniathat a judge would do this," he said.

The Vilnius regional court satisfied a request ofLithuania's flagship carrier FlyLAL-LithuanianAirlines on September 25 and decided to seize 199.83 million litas (EUR 57.92 mln) worth of assets of Latvia's air carrier airBaltic and Rigaairport.

FlyLAL-Lithuanian Airlines claims to have sustained damages of close to 200 million litas due to favorable conditions extended by Riga airport to Airbaltic, which, as a result, is able to offer lower prices thus gaining unfair competitive advantage.