Today, on the 21st December, RIGA International Airport welcomes its four millionth passenger within one calendar year. That lucky traveller is Linda Kimeiša from Riga.
The four millionth passenger was received and congratulated by Krišjānis Peters, Chairman of the Board of RIGA International Airport, Artūrs Stikuts, Sales and Marketing Director of Reval Hotel Group in Latvia, Janis Vanags, Vicepresident of the national carrier air Baltic, and Kaspars Muižnieks, technical director of AS „Rīgas taksometru parks”, as well as the saxophone quartet n[ex]t .
„The development trend of RIGA International Airport over the last five years has always reached the threshold of the desired million around the Christmas time. Today, when for the first time in the history of RIGA International Airport we receive this year's 4 millionth passenger, the gratification is great, indeed. We are glad for successful cooperation with our major partners who have helped prepare a real „bag of gifts” that today, shortly before Christmas, we can jointly present to our four millionth passenger,” said Krišjānis Peters, Chairman of the Board of RIGA International Airport, in his welcoming address to the 4 millionth passenger.
RIGA International Airport presented to the 4 millionth passenger the RIX Club card providing the opportunity to enjoy the privileges of the airport clients.
airBaltic gave the four millionth passenger two business class tickets for any of the airline’s 60 direct flights from RIGA International Airport, including the new destinations of the year 2010: Madrid, Belgrade and Vaasa.
Reval Hotel Group invited the 4 millionth passenger to spend a weekend in one of the chain’s 9 hotels in Riga, Tallinn, Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipeda or St. Petersburg.
The taxi company Rīgas taksometru parks presented a gift card of 50 lati to be spent on the services of RedCub taxis.
K.Peters said: „This year has seen us welcoming more than 4 million passengers, which is a significant step in the development of RIGA International Airport, particularly at this time of economic standstill and downturn in the global aviation industry. Contrary to the declining trends at most of the European airports, RIGA International Airport has managed to adjust successfully and use this time for development following the continuous growth trend started five years ago and achieving a fourfold growth of the passenger traffic over these years. We have a great work to do in order to reach another threshold – the five millionth passenger. I am confident that we will achieve it in a year and a half.”
RIGA International Airport for the first time welcomed its 3 millionth passenger on 10 December 2007, 2 millionth passenger – on 17 October 2006, and celebrated its first million of passengers on 13 December 2004.