Latvia’s Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) has opened an investigation into possible conflict of interest involving Martin Gauss, CEO of the country’s national airline, airBaltic, LETA reports. KNAB said that it opened the probe after receiving applications from private individuals. Earlier, Girts Lapins, spokesman for the opposition National Alliance, reported that Gauss owns a…
The Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) helped attract 45 foreign investment projects, which will create an estimated 2,023 new jobs, in 2024, LSM reports. The total value of the projects is EUR 655.4mn, which is up 6% from 2023. The biggest investments were in high-value-added manufacturing, ICT, energy, and aviation. LIAA’s target is…
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda called for a quick review of restrictions on the export of dual-use goods, BNS reports. Earlier, Economy Minister Lukas Savickas proposed relaxing the restrictions urgently. The previous government banned the export by air of several goods that Russia could use in its war against Ukraine to most third countries. Speaking in…
Parties in Latvia’s coalition government have postponed decisions on possible changes to the management of the country’s national air carrier, airBaltic, LSM reports. Prime Minister Evika Silina said that the government would wait for decisions of airBaltic’s shareholders. She noted that airBaltic was partly privately-owned, and that the government did not manage the company directly….
Lithuania’s three international airports served an all-time record of 6.6 million passengers in 2024, which was almost 10% more than in 2023, according to state-owned airport operator Lietuvos Oro Uostai (LTOU), Made in Vilnius reports. The previous record was in 2019, when LTOU’s passenger turnover was 6.5 million people. LTOU’s airports served more than 56,800…
Latvia’s national air carrier, airBaltic, has no plans to ask the government for more money, CEO Martin Gauss stated, LSM reports. Speaking in an interview with LTV, Gauss said that the company had to raise additional capital from international investors on the stock market instead. Earlier, Klavs Vasks, chairman of airBaltic’s supervisory board, surmised that…
The gross value added (GVA) generated by the forestry and logging industry in the Baltic States was highest in Latvia in 2022, according to Eurostat data, LSM reports. The sector’s GVA totalled EUR 490mn in current prices in Latvia in 2022, which was up from EUR 123mn in 2000. The forestry industry’s GVA totalled EUR…
Finnish telecommunications operator Elisa has repaired two data cables between Finland and Estonia that were damaged on Christmas Day, YLE reports. Elisa said that the cable damage had no impact on data transfer between Finland and Estonia. An oil tanker that is part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” is suspected of damaging four data cables and…
The Baltic and Polish transmission system operators (TSO) plan to apply for around EUR 600mn of EU funding for infrastructure investments from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), ERR reports. The funds would be divided equally between the four companies. The companies would use the funds for investments in protecting their critical energy infrastructure. Kalle Kilk,…