Riga Airport has secured a direct cargo corridor to Central Asia. Fly Khiva, the Uzbekistan-based carrier, started operating scheduled freight services from Tashkent to Riga in summer 2024. The airline now runs four flights weekly, connecting the Baltic region with Karaganda, Tashkent and Hong Kong.
The first scheduled flight departed on 25 January 2026. Three weekly rotations serve the Riga-Karaganda-Hong Kong route. One weekly service operates via Riga-Tashkent-Hong Kong. Shipments destined for France, Belgium, Poland, Germany and Scandinavia now move through Riga as a consolidation point.
E-commerce cargo drives Baltic gateway strategy
Nearly 250 tonnes of e-commerce cargo passed through Riga in the first month of operations. Latvijas Pasts, the national postal operator, handles customs clearance and redistribution across Central and Northern Europe. The service targets online purchases moving from Asia to regional markets.
Farkhad Mukhutdinov, Vice President of Cargo Division at Fly Khiva, said the partnership aims to improve supply chain solutions tailored to client needs. Access through Riga Airport provides growth opportunities for sectors requiring efficient cargo delivery.
The initiative receives support from Riga Airport, Latvijas Pasts and the Latvian Embassy in Uzbekistan. Riga Airport’s leadership confirmed the carrier chose Riga as a strategic partner for connecting Central Asian countries with European markets. The airport continues infrastructure investment to attract additional service providers.
Turkish Cargo adds Istanbul-Riga freight capacity
Turkish Cargo launched twice-weekly cargo flights between Istanbul and Riga on 1 July 2017. The service uses Airbus 330-200F aircraft with 68-tonne payload capacity. Turkish Airlines has operated passenger flights between the cities since 2006.
The cargo service connects the Baltic region with Central Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Far East through Turkish Cargo’s network. Specific destinations include Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan. Turkish Cargo’s stated goal is providing fast connections from the Baltic region to these markets.
Riga International Airport handled over 5.4 million passengers in 2016, representing nearly 45 percent of total Baltic air passenger traffic. The airport serves as the largest air traffic hub in the region, offering 60-plus winter destinations and almost 90 summer routes through 20 airlines.
Middle East disruptions force Asia-Europe cargo rerouting
Airspace closures and operational disruptions across the Middle East have forced airlines to reroute Asia-Europe cargo flows. Alternative gateways including Riyadh, Muscat and Eastern Africa now serve as connection points. Velana International Airport in the Maldives handled 1,868 tonnes of transshipment cargo in March 2026, a 58 percent increase year-on-year.
Peak affected 22 percent of global air cargo capacity. Current impact sits at roughly 3 percent compared to the same period last year. Around 25 percent of major Gulf carriers’ fleets remain out of operation. Transit times increased by one to three hours on key routes due to longer flight paths.
Burak Omeroglu, Chief Business Development Officer at ABDA, confirmed many historical routes from Asia shifted towards longer paths due to airspace closures. Available space in certain lanes became the critical priority. Customers absorbed rate increases and tolerated delays in exchange for capacity.
Jet fuel prices surged to $197 per barrel as of 20 March 2026. Prices jumped nearly 60 percent in early March alone, more than doubling over the previous month. Europe and Africa faced prices exceeding $210 per barrel. Fuel typically accounts for up to one-third of airline operating costs. Judah Levine, Head of Research at Freightos, noted rates increased sharply initially, then began rising again as jet fuel prices climbed.
Baltic-Central Asia corridor offers hub congestion bypass
RAVA Cargo and FLYKHIVA established a partnership to create a direct air cargo bridge between the Baltic region and Central Asia. The initiative aims to diversify logistics routes from the Baltics and provide an efficient alternative to traditional European cargo hubs.
Artūras Jurkevičius, CEO of RAVA Cargo, stated cargo can move between Riga and Central Asia in approximately 24-36 hours airport-to-airport, avoiding congestion at large European hubs. Riga’s geographic position and road links to neighbouring Baltic states and Scandinavia strengthen its role as a regional consolidation point.
Smaller airports offer operational advantages including faster handling, fewer bottlenecks and reduced risk for sensitive cargo. The model targets high-value and time-critical shipments such as pharmaceuticals, electronics and e-commerce. Central Asia gains traction as a transit bridge between Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
The strategy faces structural challenges. New freighter routes require stable and predictable shipment flows. If export volumes from the Baltic and Nordic regions prove insufficient, airlines may face low load factors making routes economically difficult to maintain long-term. Major hubs including Frankfurt, Istanbul and Dubai continue dominating through frequency, connectivity and established cargo ecosystems.
Industry analysis: regional gateway viability under pressure
Riga’s emergence as a Baltic cargo gateway reflects broader shifts in air freight patterns. Middle East disruptions accelerated the search for alternative routings. Smaller airports gained temporary advantages through operational agility and reduced congestion.
Sustainability depends on volume consistency. Baltic export markets remain fragmented. Fly Khiva’s four-weekly service and Turkish Cargo’s twice-weekly flights indicate measured capacity deployment. Carriers test demand before committing additional aircraft.
The 24-36 hour airport-to-airport transit time offers a genuine speed advantage over consolidation through Frankfurt or Amsterdam. For forwarders managing time-sensitive cargo, comparing rates across multiple routing options becomes critical. Direct Baltic-Asia services compete on speed and reliability rather than frequency.
E-commerce cargo provides volume foundation, but yields remain under pressure. Postal operators handle customs and last-mile distribution, creating integrated solutions that pure freight models struggle to replicate. The 250-tonne monthly volume through Riga demonstrates proof of concept without proving long-term commercial viability.
Fuel price volatility adds uncertainty. Longer routings around Middle East airspace increased costs while reducing payload capacity. Routes requiring refuelling stops face further time and cost penalties. Baltic gateways benefit when fuel-efficient direct routings become available, but lose ground when major hubs restore normal operations.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cargo flights does Fly Khiva operate to Riga weekly?
Fly Khiva operates four weekly cargo flights connecting Riga with Central Asia and Hong Kong. Three flights serve the Riga-Karaganda-Hong Kong route, and one flight operates via Riga-Tashkent-Hong Kong. The service launched with scheduled operations beginning 25 January 2026.
What cargo volumes moved through Riga’s Central Asia route in the first month?
Nearly 250 tonnes of e-commerce cargo passed through Riga in the first month of operations. Latvijas Pasts handles customs clearance and redistribution for online purchases moving from Asia to Central and Northern Europe. The volume demonstrates initial demand for the routing.
How long does cargo take to move between Riga and Central Asia?
Cargo moves between Riga and Central Asia in approximately 24-36 hours airport-to-airport according to RAVA Cargo. This transit time avoids congestion at large European hubs. The routing targets time-sensitive shipments including pharmaceuticals, electronics and e-commerce goods.
Which European markets receive cargo through Riga’s Central Asia flights?
Shipments moving through Riga are mainly destined for recipients in France, Belgium, Poland, Germany and Scandinavian countries. Riga serves as a consolidation point for cargo distribution across the Baltic region and Northern Europe. The airport’s road links to neighbouring states support onward transport.
How did Middle East disruptions affect global air cargo capacity?
At peak, approximately 22 percent of global air cargo capacity was impacted by Middle East airspace closures. The impact has since reduced to about 3 percent compared to the same period last year. Around 25 percent of major Gulf carriers’ fleets remain out of operation. Transit times increased by one to three hours on key routes due to longer flight paths avoiding affected airspace.
CSN perspective: routing flexibility matters more than hub size
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