As of Wednesday, March 17, flights to and from third countries were resumed. On arrival from third countries, there is a requirement to immediately do a Covid-19 test.
“On arrival in Latvia from third countries, there is an obligation to perform a repeat Covid-19 test, the so-called “quick test”,” explained airport spokeswoman Laura Kulakova.
According to the airport, similar testing points were created earlier when repatriation flights arrived in Latvia.
“The experience we already had, in this case it is about increasing passenger volume. But we're ready, let's get it done,” Kulakov said.
Currently Rīga International Airport provides a contact-free Covid testing station as well as a medical office of E.Gulbja Laboratory.
The Ministry of Transport shall encourage people to travel only if the reason is important and urgent.
In addition to the Latvian national airline airBaltic, which resumed flights from Ukraine to Riga on Wednesday morning, five additional airlines will start providing passenger services in the near future to and from third countries, Rīga airport told LETA.
According to the airport information currently available, scheduled flights to third countries will be resumed by Belavia, which will fly to Minsk, Aeroflot, which will fly to Moscow, Turkish Airlines, which will fly to Istanbul, Uzbekistan Airways, which will fly to Tashkent, as well as Wizz Air, which will fly to Kiev and Kutaisi.
Similarly, in addition to flights to Kiev, airBaltic plans to resume flights to Minsk, Moscow, Tbilisi, St. Petersburg and Tel Aviv.
The airport said most of these airlines plan to resume flights at the end of March or early April, with the beginning of the summer season. The frequency of flights to third countries could not be provided for the time being, as all airlines have not yet submitted their plans.
As reported earlier, arrivals from third countries must carry out a Covid-19 test at the closest possible location. If this is not done, the person must immediately go into self-isolation at a tourist accommodation site from the list on Latvian Investment and Development Agency website. The person must stay there until a test is carried out.
Arrivals who test positive for Covid-19 on arrival will be subject to a ten-day self-isolation in a tourism accommodation location available on LIAA website. Both the test and hotel stay will be paid for by the traveler.
Arrivals who test negative on arrival will still be subject to 10-day self-isolation but may do so at their place of residence.
