Latvia was ranked third among European countries with the fastest growing number of passengers in April, according to the latest report by the Airport Council International (ACI) on air traffic in Europe (ACI EUROPE Airport Traffic Report).
Latvia, with an increase in passenger numbers by 13.4 %, was ranked third in the ACI TOP5 in April, followed by Estonia (+11.5 %) and Malta (10.2 %). Croatia ranks first with a 25.6 % increase in passenger numbers, and the second is Austria (+22.8 %). On average, the number of air passengers in Europe has increased by 4.6 % in April compared to the same month last year.
Latvia reached ACI TOP5 thanks to the 13.4 % increase of passengers in Riga International Airport in comparison to April 2018. In the fourth month of the year, the airport serviced the total of 646,073 passengers.
At the same time, in the five months of this year, compared to last year's corresponding period, the number of passengers at Riga International Airport has increased by 9.2 %, and overall, over 2.7 million passengers have already used the services of the leading airport of the Baltic states this year. Nearly a third or 29 % of passengers have travelled through Riga this year in transfer and transit, taking advantage of the opportunities offered by Riga International Airport to easily and quickly reach other destinations in Europe, Russia and Asian countries.
Within the first five months of this year, the most popular destinations from Riga International Airport have been London, with 0.1 % more passengers than last year, Moscow (+15.2 %) and Oslo (+20.5 %).
ACI EUROPE Airport Traffic Report includes data on 236 airports that represent over 88 % of European air passenger traffic. Full ACI information on the performance of European airports in April 2018 is available here:
https://www.aci-europe.org/component/downloads/downloads/6018.html
Riga International Airport is a fast-growing North European air traffic hub. During winter season, it is possible to travel to over 90 destinations but in summer season to over 100 destinations from Riga International Airport provided by 20 airlines. In 2018, Riga International Airport provided services to more than 7 million passengers — nearly half of the total number of air passengers from the Baltic States