RIGA, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Riga Airport said on Thursday it became the first climate-neutral airport in the Baltics in 2025, as passenger traffic remained flat and air cargo volumes increased despite subdued aviation growth.
Riga Airport CEO Laila Odina said that the airport offset all direct CO₂ emissions and raised its accreditation level in international customer experience assessments in 2025.
The airport handled slightly over 7.1 million passengers last year, virtually unchanged from 2024. London and the Nordic capitals of Helsinki, Oslo and Stockholm were the most popular destinations from Riga, along with Vilnius, Tallinn, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Istanbul.
Air cargo volumes grew by 7 percent year-on-year to 20,100 tons, supported by the entry of Fly Khiva and Lufthansa Cargo.
Latvia's national carrier airBaltic remained the largest airline at Riga Airport with a 57.2 percent market share, followed by Ireland's low-cost carrier Ryanair at 22.8 percent.
Looking into 2026, Odina forecasts moderate but steady growth for Riga Airport. "As long as the current geopolitical situation persists, purchasing power remains stable, and air tourism does not expand, aviation traffic in Latvia is expected to grow moderately, in line with GDP growth," she said. ■
