Road construction company SIA Binders has been appointed to carry out reconstruction works on Apron no. 4 at RIX Riga Airport in Latvia.
The EUR 22.8 million project, which is supported by European Union funds, involves the complete reconstruction of the apron’s hard surface, covering over 80,000 sqm. The new layout will include aircraft stands for A-E class aircraft in ten different configurations, as well as taxiing and service roads.
The apron redevelopment project will replace the existing apron, which was built in the 1970s and will provide a dual-use European Transport Network (TEN-T) infrastructure suitable for both military and civil purposes.
Co-financed by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), the project will provide the Latvian hub with additional aircraft parking capacity for wide-body as well as narrow body aircraft. It will also enable the airport to accommodate all types of cargo and military aircraft. The latter is particularly important in the current geopolitical climate, according to RIX Riga Airport.
In line with the latest EU requirements, a new electrical substation will be built to supply lighting and power to the apron and aircraft stands. The work will also include the construction of equipment storage areas for aircraft servicing, installation of a new airfield lighting system, reconstruction of lighting masts and floodlights and the implementation of new video surveillance and rainwater drainage systems.
Riga Airport’s development strategy incorporates the creation of a cargo handling zone around Aprons 4 and 5. Known as cargo city, the area features a specialist cargo apron, which was commissioned in 2020, DHL’s regional shipment processing and logistics centre in 2021 and airBaltic’s own cargo logistics centre.
The reconstruction work on the apron is due to be completed by December 2027.
Riga currently handles 37 per cent of all air cargo in the Baltic States.
