In 2023, Riga Airport handled 6.63 million passengers which is 23 % more than a year before. Last year, 20 airlines operated at the Airport, serving more than 61 thousand flights. In 2023, Riga Airport was also the leading airport in the Baltic States, serving 42 % of the total Baltic air traffic passengers and 40 % of all flights.
In terms of direct passenger traffic, Riga Airport has returned to its pre-pandemic figures, and in some months this year even served more direct passengers than in 2019. As compared to 2022, the number of direct passengers increased by 23 % and surpassed the 5.2 million mark. The wide choice of destinations from Riga has contributed to a recovery in the growth of transfer and transit passengers. Transit passenger traffic has stabilised and 22 % of passengers, or more than 1.4 million, used Riga Airport as a connecting airport for further flights. In comparison to 2022, this represents an increase of 40 %.
"Overall, we can say that the European aviation industry has recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic. The Russian war in Ukraine and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continue to have a significant impact: air hubs that have been important transit points to these destinations have lower recovery rates. The largest passenger traffic from Riga is to leisure destinations, and the demand is for short to medium-haul flights, including short holiday trips," Laila Odiņa, Chairperson of the Board of Riga Airport, tells about the situation.
Last year, air cargo demand decreased by 13 % as compared to the year before, directly linked to the Russian war in Ukraine, airspace closures and other global sanctions, but the air cargo industry is also showing signs of stabilisation.