Live cattle exported via Riga Airport for the first time

Earlier this month, live cattle were exported for the first time on two trial flights from Riga to Central Asian countries, according to Latvian Radio.

It is reported that 240 young cattle from Estonia were flown via Riga Airport to Tashkent Airport. These inaugural flights were made possible by utilising the cargo terminal infrastructure operated by the air cargo handling services company “AG Handlings”. Specifically, a specialised cattle transhipment area was set up, complying with veterinary and animal welfare requirements.

The company’s director, Janis Kaudzė, explained that it was Estonian cattle farmers who, in the spring, expressed an interest in exporting cattle via Riga Airport. These farmers export their livestock to Central Asian countries, including Uzbekistan, where they are purchased to replenish herds.

In recent years, these livestock shipments from the Baltic states to Central Asia have become more complicated, as land transit through Russian territory is closed, whilst alternative export routes via other European airports that handle cattle exports significantly lengthen the overall transit time.

However, the option of airlifting livestock from Riga significantly reduces the transit time for animals intended for export, whilst also improving animal welfare.

There is currently considerable interest in this new air transport option. According to J. Kaudzė, demand could remain high in the long term.

“The advantage for the livestock here is that we unload them from the lorry in two to two-and-a-half hours and transfer them to special containers, which we manufacture ourselves on site. And then their flight to Tashkent is incredibly short – four to five hours. By then, they have already been transferred to another vehicle and are on their way to their new homes. If all this were done by road, it would take a very long time – such a journey could last up to a month. Of course, flights are more expensive, but we’ve already organised two flights. At the moment, two consignments of cattle are in quarantine at the farmers’ premises, and there will be a further seven in total this month,” said J. Kaudzė.

In future, the company plans to accept consignments of cattle not only from the Baltic states, but also from Poland and Austria, which could fly their livestock from Riga Airport.