The country’s national carrier airBaltic was the first airline to use the new service

Riga International Airport has announced the opening of four new self-service baggage drop-off points, located in the departure hall at check-in desks eight to 11.

AirBaltic passengers who have already checked in for a flight online or at the airport’s self-service check-in kiosks can use the new bag drop points, however larger items such as prams, sports equipment and oversize baggage will have to be dropped at a manned check-in counter.

The airport says the new desks will make the baggage drop off process significantly faster and more convenient with the service time of one bag at the drop-off point lasting around a minute meaning that each desk can process 60 bags an hour at peak times.

Laila Odiņa, chairperson of the Board of Riga Airport, said: “The introduction of state-of-the-art automated solutions in passenger service is among the top priorities of Riga Airport. Such solutions not only improve the customer experience, but also make the processes at the Airport more efficient in general.”

Initially, the €230,000 self-service baggage drop-off facilities will only be available to airBaltic passengers, but in the future this service could be extended for use by other airlines operating at the facility.

Martin Gauss, chief executive officer of airBaltic: “As an innovative airline, we are always keen on being an early adopter of new technology available to us. Thanks to Riga Airport, which has further modernised its services at the check-in hall, our passengers can benefit from the convenience of the new baggage self-drop points.”