The airport says that according to flight booking data between December 20 and January 5, almost 300,000 passengers will be passing through the arrivals and departure halls, including transfer passengers, which make up about 30% of the total number of passengers at Riga Airport.
The most intense passenger traffic is expected on 20 December and 3 and 5 January, when the number of departing passengers from Riga is forecast to be almost 40% higher than the daily average.
Consequently travelers should get to the airport at least 2 hours before their flight is due to depart and the airport is also inviting travelers to be prepared in advance for security clearance procedures by packing fluids as required, removing outerwear, removing belt or other accessories, removing computer, tablet or external batteries from hand luggage, and so on, which it is claimed "saves on average 30 seconds of security time."
In the so-called 'peak hours', with an average of about 1,000 passengers being screened every hour, such preparedness can mean 15% more passengers get through the security zone, the airport said.
To help travelers better prepare for security controls, Riga Airport has prepared new visuals and information material for the security control area, explaining key security requirements and providing tips on how to properly prepare for security screening. Prior to security screening, the airport has set up a special preparation area.
The airport is even offering an interactive online game at bistamie.lv to help passengers understand security requirements. It is available in both Latvian and English.
Riga Airport has already serviced more than 7.2 million passengers in the first 11 months of this year, which is 10.4% more than last year. It offers over 70 destinations in winter and over 100 in summer, provided by 20 airlines. In 2018, Riga Airport served more than 7 million passengers - almost half of the combined number for all three Baltic states.
