E-commerce boosts Riga cargo traffic

Cargo traffic to and through Riga Airport has been boosted by the rapid growth of e-commerce.

The total volume of air cargo handled at Riga Airport last year reached 27,900 tonnes, which is one-fifth more than in 2020. The 27,300 tonnes of air cargo handled in 2019 was also exceeded by 2%.

One contributing reason for the growth is a new air cargo connection has been established between Riga and Hong Kong, which is operated twice a week by international shipping company Venipak to capitalise on e-commerce demand.

Last year, an agreement was reached with the national airline airBaltic to establish a new cargo centre, while DHL completed the establishment of its regional hub at the Airport.

“These facts confirm that the ongoing work to develop and strengthen the Airport’s cargo segment – RIX Cargo City – is a step in the right direction and customers appreciate the potential of Riga Airport as a regional aviation hub, including in the air cargo sector,” said Laila Odiņa, chairperson of the board of Riga Airport.

Due to restrictions in place to limit the spread of the pandemic, the volume of bellyhold cargo has halved, while the volume of cargo carried by cargo flights has increased by 70% compared to 2019.

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