Today, 19 January, RIGA International Airport welcomes the first regular flight of the Belarusian national carrier Belavia from Minsk to Riga.
Krišjānis Peters, Chairman of the Board of RIGA International Airport, said: „We are very gratified about opening of flights by the Belarusian national carrier Belavia from RIGA International Airport. A significant precondition for this was our new tariff policy that is one of the most attractive and competitive among the airports of the European capital cities. Commencement of Belavia flights to Riga will provide the people of the Scandinavian countries with greater and more convenient opportunities to visit Belarus. I am convinced that our cooperation will be productive and in the future will result in the increased number of flights to Belarus.”
Belavia will perform flights between Riga and Minsk three times a week: on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Departure from Riga is scheduled at 15:15 (Arrival in Minsk at 16:20), while the flight departs from Minsk at 13:20 (arrival in Riga at 14:25). Duration of the flight is one hour and five minutes. Belavia will carry passengers on CRJ type aircraft.
The traffic between Riga and Minsk is provided also by the Latvian national carrier airBaltic. From now on, thanks to the code share agreement between Belavia and airBaltic, passengers will be able to choose from 10 direct flights per week to Minsk.
The number of passengers annually carried between RIGA International Airport and Belarus:
Year Number of passengers
2005 8 245
2006 13 032
2007 23 091
2008 23 908
2009 27 276
From Minsk Belavia offers air trips to 27 direct destinations in Europe, Russia and the CIS. There are 16 aircrafts in the fleet of the Belarusian carrier: five Boeing 737-500, three Boeing 737-300, three CRJ- 100/200 LR and five Tu-154M. Belavia holds approximately 65 per cent of Belarus’s passenger air traffic market. The airline performs regular flights to 30 airports in 20 countries.
Belavia will be the first new airline in 2010 to open traffic to RIGA International Airport. On 28 March another new airline - Wizz Air - will commence flights to Riga. It is the biggest low-cost carrier in Central and Eastern Europe. Wizz Air will carry passengers from Riga to London (Luton), Turku and Oslo.