The new service got a thumbs-up from Minister of Transport Kaspars Briškens who said: "It is important for us that airport visitors have access to convenient and fast transportation. We have moved the bus stop closer to the airport, sorted out the issue of taxi vouchers, and now we are opening Lux Express shuttle bus services."
"We are happy that from June 12 we will be able to start providing a new service that will complement the existing transport connections and significantly improve traffic between Riga Airport and the city centre. Our goal is to provide passengers with buses of increased comfort and shorten the time spent on the road," says Aldis Ķibēns, Baltic Business Development Director of Lux Express.
All transportation on the route Riga Centre - RIX Riga Airport will be carried out with Iveco Daily Fergui minibuses, with seats for up to 24 passengers. All buses will have wi-fi, climate control, seat belts for passengers and info screens where the names of the stops will be announced in both Latvian and English to avoid potential confusion.
Every day, 18 departures will be provided on the route from Riga centre to RIX Riga Airport, with stops at: Riga International Bus Station, Station Square, Esplanade, National Theatre, Ķīpsala, State Archives, Ventas Street, Riga Airport. On the other hand, 21 departures will be made in the direction RIX Riga Airport–Riga Centre with stops at Riga Airport, Kauguru Street, State Archives, Ķipsala, Z. A. Meierovica Boulevard, Esplanade, Central Station, Riga International Bus Station. Departure times are planned to ensure passenger demand throughout the day, especially during peak hours.
Ticket are available for purchasing from the website https://luxexpress.eu/en/routes/airport-shuttle/, in the Riga Airport Visitor Center in the "E" departure hall, as well as from the bus drivers and at the Lux Express sales office at the Riga International Bus Station.
Tickets on this route will cost 8 euros, while for children and young people up to the age of 16 (inclusive) it will cost 6 euros. Along with traditional payment methods, it will be possible to buy tickets on the luxexpress.lv website using GooglePay and ApplePay payment methods. The duration of the trip from the centre of Riga to the Riga airport is expected to be 35 minutes.
In cases where the flight has been cancelled or the departure time has been postponed and a person has purchased tickets for the route, it will be possible to exchange or return the tickets. On the other hand, if it is not possible to exchange or return the ticket and the flight is delayed, then the purchased ticket is valid for the whole day afterwards. Full terms and conditions are available at the LuxExpress website.
The new service will operate in addition to the existing taxi services and the number 22 bus operated by Rīga's municipal bus company. A rail terminal is currently being constructed at the airport for connections via the Rail Baltica high-speed rail link – but that remains a project that will not come online for several years.
