Ryanair unhappy with new fees

RIGA - Even with the increased security fees, Riga Airport remains the least expensive airport in Europe, as Riga International Airport CEO Arnis Luhse said in an interview with LNT morning show ‘900 sekundes’ on Dec. 9, reports Nozare.lv. The cost of security measures at the airport was previously covered by the state, which is going through a period of financial difficulties at the moment, therefore these costs must now be covered by the airlines and passengers, he said.

Riga Airport still is highly competitive, because it remains the least expensive airport in Europe due to low passenger costs, fees for aircraft landing and other payments collected by the airport.
According to Luhse, 16 out of 17 airlines operating flights to the Riga Airport were understanding of the airport’s decision to introduce the security fees.

The airport’s security service employs around 450 people altogether, of which passengers only see a small part, said Luhse, emphasizing that the security services were highly important for the safety of flights.
This past October, the Cabinet of Ministers accepted a proposal to introduce security fees at Riga International Airport, stipulating that 6.5 to 7 euros have to be paid by each passenger. The Transport Ministry previously pointed out that such fees are adequate to the required security measures that must be ensured by the airport.

The Irish low-fare airline Ryanair has said that it will reduce the number of flights to and from Riga as a result of the new fees.