Odiņa welcomed the fact that Riga airport can resume flights, stressing that it is important not just for the airport itself but also the Latvian economy.
National airline airBaltic has already received permission to continue flights from Riga to Tallinn and Vilnius as of May 15, and Oslo and Frankfurt as of June 9.
To ensure safe travelling, a program called "Neļauj vīrusam ceļot" ("Do not let the virus travel") has been implemented, based on five core principles: passenger protection, employee protection, infrastructure, cooperation and communication.
Passengers (except children under the age of 7) will be required to wear medical masks because not everywhere is it possible to ensure distancing, for example, by the security control or boarding gates. Masks can be purchased from vending machines outside the airport terminal and in the arrival hall, said a news release from the airport.
Only passengers with flight reservations will be allowed to enter the terminal. Thermal cameras to measure body temperature will also be placed throughout the airport. National airline airBaltic has announced that passengers with a fever higher than 37.8 will not be allowed onboard.
When planning the aircraft placement and boarding sectors, the airport will pay increased attention to minimizing passenger concentration and using buses as infrequently as possible. If passengers have to be transported by bus, a maximum of 25 people will be transported in one vehicle.
All registration desks will be equipped with disinfectants, which will also be available throughout the airport from 25 disinfection stations.
Employees will wearing masks, protective shields, gloves and other protective equipment. A special working schedule has been set up for employees so that employees have contact with coworkers of a single shift.
