WEEKLY NEWS


RIGA’S CARGO AMBITIONS


AIR CARG O WEEK


04 BY Anastasiya SIMSEK


EUROPE’S air cargo geography is entering another period


of adjustment. e-commerce between Russia and Ukraine after direct air


connectivity between the two markets had already been restricted in earlier years. “Before we were a transfer point between Russia


growth,


geopolitical disruption and mounting pressure on established gateway airports are forcing airlines and logistics operators to reassess how freight moves into Northern Europe. As congestion, costs and operational complexity increase at larger hubs, smaller airports with available infrastructure are beginning to test whether flexibility and speed can outweigh scale. RIX Riga Airport believes this moment may offer


such an opportunity. Long established as the primary aviation gateway for the Baltic states, the airport is now attempting to expand beyond its traditional regional role and position itself as a transit point connecting Asian cargo flows with Northern Europe. The ambition is not to compete directly with Europe’s dominant cargo centres, but to capture incremental traffic redistributed across a changing logistics network.


When disruption forced a reset For Riga, the turning point came in 2022. Just as aviation markets were stabilising after the pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine reshaped connectivity across Eastern Europe and abruptly interrupted cargo operations that had taken years to develop. Before the conflict, the airport benefited from both


transit passenger traffic and growing e-commerce charters linking Asia with markets further east. “After the beginning of the war in Ukraine, we lost


all e-commerce flights and cargo because of the sanctions or overflying the Russian airspace,” said Arturs Saveljevs, Chief Commercial Officer and Board Member at RIX Riga Airport. The impact extended beyond freighter operations. Riga had also served as an indirect transfer point


ACW 20 APRIL 2026


and Ukraine,” Saveljevs said, explaining that the disappearance of those routes reduced passenger volumes and belly cargo capacity simultaneously. Across Latvia’s aviation sector,


annual cargo handling capacity of around 100,000 tonnes, yet it processed just over 20,000 tonnes last year. For airport management, that gap represents an


opportunity rather than underperformance. The wider strategy relies heavily on transferring


the disruption


arrived at a particularly sensitive moment. Recovery momentum following Covid-19 was still building when traffic suddenly declined again. “This was a big shock after that,” said Zigmars


Vestfals, Board Member of the Latvian Aviation Association, noting that both passenger and cargo segments were affected. Operators were forced to adapt quickly, searching


for alternative markets and restructuring logistics flows that could no longer corridors.


rely on previous air


Building capacity ahead of demand Rather than scaling back ambitions, RIX Riga Airport has


focused on strengthening infrastructure


cargo moving through Riga rather than solely serving the domestic Latvian market. Approximately 75–80 percent of cargo carried by national airline airBaltic already consists of transfer shipments moving onward through its network. As Saveljevs explained, attracting freighters that


can distribute cargo further using airBaltic’s regional connectivity remains a central objective.


e-commerce returns The recovery of e-commerce traffic has become an early test of that strategy. Following the collapse of earlier China-linked


in


anticipation of returning cargo demand. Central to that strategy is the development of


a dedicated cargo zone known as “RIX Cargo City”, designed to support widebody freighter operations and faster aircraft turnaround. The airport currently operates cargo-dedicated aprons capable of handling multiple large aircraft simultaneously, supported by underground fuel hydrant systems intended to reduce ground time. Additional expansion is already planned through the


renovation of apron infrastructure that will increase widebody parking capacity further. The opening of the Baltic Cargo Hub, a 5,000 square metre facility operated by airBaltic, has also significantly increased handling capability. Despite these investments, utilisation remains relatively low. RIX Riga Airport has an estimated


operations after 2022, RIX Riga Airport has recently begun rebuilding long-haul cargo activity through new partnerships. Uzbek carrier Fly Khiva launched operations bringing widebody freighters into Riga carrying goods linked to major online retail platforms. For a regional airport, even limited frequencies


carry significant impact. “Last year these were test flights only, and for


our size of an airport, having a wide body bringing 50 tonnes of cargo is a big deal,” Saveljevs said. Successful trial operations, supported by short


turnaround times, led to the introduction of a regular programme this year. Much of the cargo does not remain in Latvia but moves onward across the Baltic region and into neighbouring markets by truck or connecting flights. The model reflects a broader shift emerging across


Europe’s parcel logistics sector, where distribution closer


attractive as volumes grow. to end markets is becoming increasingly


Competing through speed Riga’s ambitions also depend on competing differently from larger airports in the region. While Helsinki and major Western European hubs


continue to dominate cargo flows, Latvia’s aviation industry argues that decision-making speed and coordination between public institutions and private operators offer a distinct advantage. “There are big countries and smaller countries, but


then we have fast countries and slower countries. And we are fast countries,” Vestfals said, pointing to cooperation between government and industry when developing aviation projects. Operational efficiency


is another selling point


frequently highlighted by cargo operators. Customs procedures at RIX Riga Airport are heavily digitalised, allowing shipments to move quickly through clearance processes, a factor increasingly important for time- sensitive e-commerce shipments. Road feeder services already connect Riga with


neighbouring markets, including Finland and Poland, although airport management ultimately hopes to convert some of those trucked volumes into direct freighter services.


Preparing for the next shift Despite


recent progress, uncertainty linked to


geopolitics continues to shape planning across the region. Much of the sector’s longer-term outlook still depends on how European airspace dynamics evolve. Vestfals believes the end of the war could trigger


another rapid change in demand. “When the war is over, I see that this will be a huge


step forward,” he said, adding that aviation cargo could see “lots and lots of new projects” emerge across the region. For RIX Riga Airport, the strategy appears rooted in


readiness rather than immediate scale. Infrastructure has been expanded, operational processes refined and new cargo partnerships cautiously rebuilt.


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