RIX Riga Airport starts master planning for next 40 years

RIX Riga Airport has started work on the Airport's new Master Plan and its strategic environmental impact assessment. The updated Master Plan will include guidelines and recommendations for the development of Riga Airport over the next 40 years, forecasting changes in traffic volumes and the appropriate development of the Airport territory and infrastructure up to 2050 and afterward.

Laila Odiņa, Chairperson of the Board of RIX Riga Airport commented: "Riga Airport will continue to be Latvia's air gateway to the rest of the world, and in the new long-term Master Plan we will strengthen our strategic vision to be a Northern European air hub, contributing to Latvia's competitiveness in the region. This can only be achieved through timely and targeted planning of the Airport's development as an international hub, convenient and safe connections for passengers and business, creating new jobs and opportunities for business development."

The plan will be developed in accordance with the guidelines of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Airport Development Manual, assessing the main political, economic, social, technological, environmental and other factors affecting the economic performance and competitiveness of the Airport. Forecasts from international aviation organizations and companies, alongside airlines' operational plans and Riga Airport's projected passenger and cargo traffic, will also be considered. An integral part of Riga Airport's long-term Master Plan will be the development of operations and infrastructure necessary to meet the EU's Green Deal, climate neutrality, and sustainability objectives. The first goal of the company's Sustainability strategy is to achieve climate neutrality by 2035. 

Opportunities and solutions for digitalization and automation will be considered and proposed in the development of infrastructure and scenario planning. The Airport's own land plots, as well as surrounding areas, will also be evaluated to assess their necessity for the Airport's future development, considering factors affecting local municipalities, including territorial development plans and zoning.

The plan will be prepared over the next 18 months by Spanish engineering and consultancy company INECO and Latvian environmental engineering services company VentEko. The consortium of these companies earned the right to develop the Airport's Master Plan as a result of an international tender.

Sergio Vázquez Torrón, President of INECO stated:"The cooperation with Riga Airport is a proof of our experience in airport development consultancy. We have developed projects for major airports in Spain, as well as in countries such as the Netherlands, Greece, Mexico and Morocco. We will leverage the trust and confidence placed in us to create a new Master Plan for Riga Airport, aimed at enhancing the Airport's efficiency and improving the passenger experience, thereby paving the way for a new future for Latvia in the aviation industry."

INECO is a sustainable mobility and digital transformation engineering and consultancy company founded in Spain in 1968, offering comprehensive and innovative solutions for new, more sustainable, and safer mobility worldwide. Latvian company VentEko, one of the leading companies in the industry in the Baltics, has been providing environmental engineering and environmental management services since 1997.