Riga Airport told ACW that it does not expect Russia’s closure of the Kārsava–Pytalovo rail crossing to affect Baltic air cargo operations, describing the route as a backup corridor with limited traffic.

“From Latvia’s perspective, this decision is not expected to have any real impact on air cargo,” said Nauris Sedols, Head of Aviation Cargo Development, Aviation Services and Business Development Department, Riga Airport.

Sedols noted that only the Kārsava–Pytalovo rail crossing has been closed, while the main rail border crossing at Zilupe–Sebezh, which handles freight to and from Russia and Central Asia, remains open.

“We do not expect any shift of cargo to or from airfreight or RFS, as there have been no RFS connections or direct flights between Latvia and Russia for several years. In addition, railway is not used for air cargo shipments in our region, unlike in Western Europe. Therefore, we do not expect any impact on Baltic airport cargo operations,” Sedols said.

He added that railway is not used for air cargo shipments in the region in the same way as in Western Europe, meaning Riga Airport does not expect any impact on Baltic airport cargo operations.