10/09/2009
In the end of this August, RIGA International Airport has opened already a second playground for its younger travelers. The new kids’ room welcomes those transit passengers, who are still below the age to fly alone – without the parents or an authorized person. This service is also available for the kids that have reached the age allowing to travel independently, but whose parents want them to travel under the airport’s stuff guidance.
Quite often the children flying transit flights have to spend a long time in the airport due to the overlaps. Many world’s airports offer special areas for these cases – playgrounds where the young travelers can stay and have fun under the airport stuff supervision. Now RIGA International Airport is proud to welcome the kids to a new playground too. Krisjanis Peters, SJSV RIGA International Airport Head of the Board says: “The new playground for kids is necessary, because while in May RIGA International Airport has served 48 young passengers, in June there were 219 of them, and in July – already 381! The demand for this service grows higher than we estimated last year and even higher than we expected this year. Our little passengers are usually the citizens of foreign countries, which will enjoy the fun offered by the playground and later might tell their parents how they liked it. Many young travelers fly the first time and more over, are not accompanied by their parents, therefore, it is extremely important for the airport to provide them with safe and comfortable conditions at the airport.” Before reaching the age set by an airline company, a child can fly alone, under airline company supervision. In these cases, a paperwork must be arranged in advance and a service fee paid at the airline company cash register. From the moment of registration until entering the airplane, the children are supervised by the airport stuff. On board the airplane, they are watched by the designated airplane crew members. Between the flights, in the transit zone, the children are again supervised by the airport stuff. The new kids’ room for the children flying transit flights is situated in the airport terminal, at the arrival sector E, before the luggage carousel. There the kids can play board games, puzzles, lego, read books or paint. There are also computers with internet connection available, as well as blankets and pillows. Until recent RIGA International Airport could offer only one playground room for kids, which served as a creative and recreational zone for the smaller travelers waiting for the next flight. It was arranged in 2001 as a part of a major modernization and expansion project along with the construction of a new B departure sector. RIGA International Airport also takes care of moms with toddlers providing them with comfortable conditions to nourish the babies. Te airport has arranged five specialized rooms at the transit zone – two in B sector, two in C sector and one in D sector.