📋 Tender Overview
Representatives of the State Agency Civil Aviation Agency, VAS Latvijas gaisa satiksme, the Ministry of Transport, the State Police, security services and RIX Riga Airport today, January 22, determined the future directions of action and measures to be taken to prevent the possibility of undetectable drone incidents at Riga Airport. The parties involved have already strengthened the drone detection and response capabilities of the services, improving the level of safety of civil aviation. The meeting participants, analyzing the incident, agreed on two main directions of work to prevent and mitigate risks to air traffic safety and airport operations in the future. First, specific, latest technological equipment most suitable for the needs of the airport will be defined for detecting drones from the widest possible range of manufacturers. Second, measures will be implemented to improve response capabilities, determine competencies and powers, including strengthening the response capabilities and technical equipment of the Riga Airport Station of the State Police. Rapid communication, response capabilities with all the equipment available in the country, review and addition of communication algorithms for similar cases are the main conclusions of all parties involved. We must jointly strengthen our readiness and response capabilities in the future, emphasizes Maris Gorodcovs, Director of the Civil Aviation Agency, after the meeting. Since 2022, Riga Airport, in cooperation with the responsible state institutions and in accordance with their recommendations, has strengthened the protection of critical infrastructure, and together with state services, drone countermeasure equipment used at the airport and its impact on air traffic have been tested. In the fall of 2024, Riga Airport received the drones purchased in the procurement, which are planned to be used in airfield patrols, for identifying and countering unauthorized drones, and has trained employees - drone pilots. Currently, in cooperation with Latvian Air Traffic, work is underway to change existing airport and flight procedures and develop new procedures to safely integrate patrol drone flights into daily airport operations. Riga Airports procurement for the purchase of drone detection equipment is also in its final stages - the deadline for submitting bids closed on January 21 and three bids have been received for the procurement. The winner of the procurement will be determined after the responsible services have provided their opinions on the eligibility of the applicants. Also, using the Airports Council International Europe cooperation network, the experience of other European countries in detecting and countering drones has been studied. This survey shows that some European airports, like Riga Airport, have drone detection equipment, while countering unauthorized drone flights at European airports is defined as a function of national law enforcement institutions, which also maintain and are entitled to use the relevant equipment. For additional information: Ilze Salna, Communications Project Manager of VAS Riga International Airport, GSM: 29404124, Aivis Vincevs, Head of Operational Situations, State Agency Civil Aviation Agency Tel.: 60001672 e-mail:
