The Riga Aviation Forum, a prominent aviation business conference, has commenced, focusing on both the opportunities and challenges facing the aviation industry in the Baltics.

This high-level event gathers key stakeholders from across the European and Baltic aviation sectors, including industry leaders, experts, and scholars. Discussions center around the strategic development of aviation in the region, while top executives from major companies offer insights into solutions for the sector’s pressing issues, with a focus on innovation and efficiency in the path toward sustainable and climate-neutral aviation. 

A major emphasis of this year’s conference is the future of aviation, exploring innovations, multimodality, the creation of urban environments around air hubs, and addressing the challenges of urban mobility.

Throughout the forum, prominent company leaders, experts, stakeholders, and decision-makers deliver keynote speeches, participate in panel discussions, and engage in hard-talks addressing the current trends and issues affecting the aviation industry in the Baltics, Europe, and globally. Topics include future scenarios for net-zero-carbon aviation, the unique dynamics of air freight in the Baltic region, the critical intersection of employment and education within the industry, the transformation of airports into next-generation socio-economic hubs, and the evolving challenges of ground handling in the region.

Following the opening speech of Kaspars Briškens, Minister of Transport of Latvia, Serkan Kaptan Board Member at ACI EUROPE and CEO of TAV Airports delivered a speech on the current state of airports and aviation across Europe. In addition, a Keynote Interview was held with Martin Gauss CEO of airBaltic, moderated by Richard Maslen Head of Analysis at CAPA, to further explore the evolving dynamics of the aviation industry., Airbaltic’s vision and current status at the market. Havaş CEO Mete Erna also delivered a speech focusing on ground handling. 

Serkan Kaptan, CEO of TAV Airports and Board Member at ACI EUROPE, addressed the current challenges and opportunities within the European aviation market during his keynote at the ACI EUROPE event. He provided insights into the uneven recovery across markets, the ongoing effects of geopolitical tensions, and the structural changes shaping air connectivity in the post-pandemic era.

Geopolitical Impact

Kaptan highlighted that the non-EU+ market is underperforming (-20%) compared to the EU+ market (-13%), primarily due to geopolitical factors. He pointed to the war in Ukraine, where Ukrainian airports have lost all air connectivity, and Russia (-43%) and Belarus (-87%) continue to experience dramatic declines. The conflict in Gaza also contributed to losses, with Israel suffering a significant decrease (-42%) in total air connectivity.

Structural Shifts and Market Recovery

Over four years since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, total air connectivity (both direct and indirect) remains 14% below 2019 levels, although there has been a slight improvement over last year’s figures (2023 at -16%). Kaptan noted that direct connectivity (-8%) is faring better than indirect connectivity (-17%), largely due to the expansion of Ultra-Low Cost Carriers (LCCs) and a relative pullback by Full Service Carriers (FSCs) as the market adapts post-pandemic.

National Market Performance

Within the EU+ region, only a few countries have exceeded their pre-pandemic total air connectivity levels, with Greece (+22%), Iceland (+7%), and Portugal (+4%) leading the way. Meanwhile, Finland (-37%), Sweden (-31%), Slovenia (-29%), the Czech Republic, and Austria (both at -28%) remain among those farthest from full recovery. Tourism-heavy Spain has performed relatively well (-2%), followed by the UK (-12%), France (-15%), and Germany (-24%). In the non-EU+ market, Albania (+55%), Uzbekistan (+29%), and Türkiye (+24%) have shown notable growth.

Key Challenges for European and Latvian Aviation

Kaptan outlined several key challenges facing the aviation industry:

•Geopolitical Instability: Ongoing conflicts, particularly in Ukraine and Gaza, are affecting Western airspace and reducing connectivity.

•Supply Chain Issues: Disruptions in the supply chain are slowing down industry recovery.

•Cybersecurity Threats: Cyber risks, such as data breaches and system outages, continue to pose operational risks.

•Macroeconomic Pressures: Rising fuel costs, currency volatility, investment constraints, and inflation have all impacted the aviation sector.

•Pandemic Risks: Continued viral outbreaks, like monkeypox, threaten the stability of the sector.

Sustainability Commitments

Kaptan emphasized the industry’s commitment to achieving net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. Currently, 289 airports are certified under Airport Carbon Accreditation, covering 78% of European air traffic. These airports have collectively reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 20% in 2023. Notably, 130 airports have set ambitious targets to reach net zero by 2030 or earlier, with nine airports in Europe already achieving Level 5 Airport Carbon Accreditation.

Key airport actions for reducing emissions include electrifying ground support equipment, reconfiguring airside infrastructure to minimize fuel consumption and emissions on the ground, and supporting Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) initiatives. Additionally, airports can implement sustainable operational practices like Continuous Descent Approach (CDA) and introduce revenue-neutral modulation of airport charges based on CO2 emissions and aircraft technology. Developing intermodal connections with other modes of transport, especially rail, is also essential.

General Manager S. Mete Erna took place as a speaker in the “Ground Handling” panel.

The panel discussed strategies to make ground operations more sustainable and safe. In particular, the focus was on reducing the environmental impact of Ground Support Equipment (GSE). Transition to electric and hydrogen fuel cell GSE, increasing energy efficiency, use of environmentally friendly materials, streamlining operations to save fuel, and the importance of utilizing renewable energy solutions for charging and rapid refueling were among the main topics discussed.

Riga International Airport’s 50th anniversary

A special highlight of this year’s Riga Aviation forum is the celebration of Riga International Airport’s 50th anniversary, marking a milestone in the region’s aviation history. 

Riga Airport is a fast-growing Northern European air traffic hub, connecting the Baltic countries with European business centres and popular holiday destinations. 5.3 million passengers were served at RIX Riga Airport in the first nine months of this year. The number of passengers handled in September, as compared to September last year, increased by 9 % and reached 664 thousand travellers. The company's forecasts show that by the end of the year, the total number of passengers served at Riga Airport will exceed 7 million.

Riga Airport serves as the primary hub for AirBaltic, Latvia’s national airline. From Riga, AirBaltic connects passengers to over 130 destinations across Europe and beyond. Turkish Airlines is operating 12 weekly flights between Riga and Istanbul.

TAV Airports has been managing the commercial areas at Riga Airport, the hub of Latvia’s national carrier, AirBaltic, since 2011. Additionally, TAV Airports’ subsidiaries—ATU Duty Free, BTA, TAV Operation Services and HAVAS—provide various services at the airport.

The World’s First Airport Symphony, created by RIX Riga Airport was performed by composer Rihards Zalupe. Every move (luggage carriers, passengers, etc.) was filmed and then turned into a certain note using AI. Then composer Rihards Zalupe and the director put the video and notes into logical sequences, creating a unique composition.