airBaltic launches the construction of the Baltic Cargo Hub

The Latvian national carrier, airBaltic, has entered an agreement with UPB Nams SIA for construction of the Baltic Cargo Hub at RIX Riga Airport. This state-of-the-art facility is set to become the largest dedicated air cargo handling center in the Baltics allowing to handle up to 45 000 tonnes of cargo annually, solidifying Riga Airport’s position as a leading air cargo hub. The facility will feature direct access to the apron, making cargo import, export, and transit processes quick and easy.

The new Baltic Cargo Hub will be equipped with cutting-edge, semi-automatic cargo handling equipment – Material Handling System (MHS), including a mail sorter. These advancements will significantly improve handling efficiency for both belly cargo and dedicated cargo freighter aircraft. The hub is designed to have full special cargo handling capabilities with dedicated temperature-controlled rooms for pharmaceuticals and perishables, premises for dangerous goods, live animals and valuable shipments.

Spanning an area of 6 895 m², the hub will dedicate approximately 5 000 m² to cargo handling facilities and around 2 000 m² for office spaces. The project advocates for a sustainably built environment, as verified by BREEAM certification. The planned project implementation period is 12 months.

COBALT provides a full legal support in the project, including legal advice on entering agreements with Riga Airport, design and construction agreements. COBALT team is led by Managing Partner Dace Silava-Tomsone.

airBaltic operates more than 100 routes from Riga, Tallinn, Vilnius, and Tampere, offering connections to a wide range of destinations in the airline’s route network in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Caucasus region.

Official announcement.