newstodate.aero
Sep 17, 2010 (newstodate): Latvia's Ventspils International Airport has won approval from the government to apply for EU Cohesion Fund support to its development plans.
The airport, some 200 km from Riga, is today restricted in its business development by its short 1,300 m runway and obsolete navigational equipment, and last saw scheduled services in 2008 when airBaltic halted its commuter flights to Riga.
-Our top priority is to seek financial support to plans for expanding the runway by another 500 m, to 1,800 m, says Ints Selis, Ventspils International Airport manager.
-Beside the runway extension we would need to add to the width of the runway and increase the bearing capacity to allow for operations with larger aircraft up to Boeing 737 and Airbus A320.
-We would also need to install a new ILS system and runway lighting system, but we would not have the means to go for CAT I certification, retaining our non-precision approach status.
-I am convinced that there is a market for scheduled international traffic at Ventspils, first to Scandinavian countries like Sweden and Norway, and next to other European destinations in Denmark, Germany and other countries, given the upgrade of our existing infrastructure.
-If the application procedures run smoothly we might start work on the runway from spring 2011, and complete the projects by September 2012, says Mr Selis.
The airport, some 200 km from Riga, is today restricted in its business development by its short 1,300 m runway and obsolete navigational equipment, and last saw scheduled services in 2008 when airBaltic halted its commuter flights to Riga.
-Our top priority is to seek financial support to plans for expanding the runway by another 500 m, to 1,800 m, says Ints Selis, Ventspils International Airport manager.
-Beside the runway extension we would need to add to the width of the runway and increase the bearing capacity to allow for operations with larger aircraft up to Boeing 737 and Airbus A320.
-We would also need to install a new ILS system and runway lighting system, but we would not have the means to go for CAT I certification, retaining our non-precision approach status.
-I am convinced that there is a market for scheduled international traffic at Ventspils, first to Scandinavian countries like Sweden and Norway, and next to other European destinations in Denmark, Germany and other countries, given the upgrade of our existing infrastructure.
-If the application procedures run smoothly we might start work on the runway from spring 2011, and complete the projects by September 2012, says Mr Selis.