Riga Airport to Serve 7.1 Million Passengers in 2025
Riga Airport had a stable year in 2025 with passenger traffic of 7.1 million travellers, while cargo volume grew by 7%, reaching 20,100 tonnes. The stability of passenger flows was facilitated by the extensive destination network, regular flights to the most popular European cities, and growing demand for travel for both business and leisure purposes.
Passenger traffic and main destinations
Of the total number of passengers, 5.7 million were direct passengers who started their journey in Riga, while 1.4 million or about 20% used the airport as a transfer point for onward flights.
The most popular destinations from Riga Airport in 2025 were London in the United Kingdom and the Nordic capitals of Helsinki, Oslo, and Stockholm. The top ten most popular destinations are invariably the capitals of our neighbouring countries Lithuania and Estonia (Vilnius and Tallinn, respectively), the major European air traffic hubs in Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Copenhagen, and Istanbul, Turkey.
The largest carrier at Riga Airport last year was the national airline airBaltic with 57.2% of the market, while the second largest carrier is the Irish low-cost airline Ryanair with a 22.8% market share.
Investments and sustainability – almost 20 million euros and reconstruction of the fourth apron
In 2025, the airport continued to invest in airfield infrastructure, sustainability projects and equipment renewal, with investment volume reaching almost 20 million euros.
Of the most significant objects, the reconstruction of the fourth apron stands out – reconstruction of the hard surface is planned over an area of more than 80,000 m2, creating 10 A-E class aircraft parking lots in various configurations. The project is to be implemented over 42 months (July 2024 – December 2027) as a dual-use TEN-T infrastructure for civil and military needs. The renovated apron will facilitate military mobility, which is particularly important in the current geopolitical situation, and expand the airport’s cargo handling capacity.
At the same time, the airport also emphasises sustainability trends – in 2025 it highlighted targeted work on meeting customer experience and environmental goals, including offsetting directly generated CO₂ emissions.
New players enter Riga Airport
Although sanctions and airspace restrictions still affect Riga’s attractiveness for Asian carriers, in 2025 two significant carriers joined Riga Airport in the field of cargo transportation – Fly Khiva and Lufthansa Cargo, which resulted in an increase in the volume of cargo handled by 7% – up to 20.1 thousand tonnes. 51% of cargo handled at Riga Airport last year was transported on passenger flights, while 49% was carried on cargo flights.
2026 – Scandinavian Airlines returns and new routes
In 2026, the airport predicts moderate but stable growth, which will be influenced by both the purchasing power of the population and the geopolitical environment. At the same time, several significant additions are expected – Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) will return to Riga with an intensive schedule to Copenhagen.
In the first half of 2026, the national airline airBaltic will launch flights on new routes to Antalya, Kaunas and Oulu, while in the summer season of 2026 it will launch direct flights to Warsaw and Gothenburg. In addition, the frequency of flights to several popular destinations will be increased.
Published: 26.04.2026
