The company's vision is to become the travel hub of Northern Europe, helping promote both Latvia and the development of the national economy. As part of these strategic plans, a new RIX Riga Airport brand and visual identity have been created.
“We want to compete with the airports of the Northern European region, so RIX Riga Airport's offer must be competitive. The new development projects – the new passenger terminal and the Airport City, as well as the goal of becoming an important regional travel hub, determined the need to create a full-fledged, competitive brand. This includes our values, our promise to customers and cooperation partners and our vision of RIX as one of the best-connected business and travel hubs in the region,” said Laila Odiņa, chairperson of the Board of RIX Riga Airport.
Development plans
The new Riga Airport terminal building will be sustainable, modern, and ergonomic. The passenger check-in hall, security and border control area, shops and cafés, baggage handling complex, new access roads, multi-storey car park and connection to the Rail Baltica station will be located on the site of the existing short-term car park and access ramp. Construction of the terminal should begin in the second half of this year and will be completed by the end of 2028. The total construction area will be more than 45,000m2, with the investment estimated at €16m.
RIX Airport City will be a new, multifunctional city next to Riga Airport, featuring hotels, offices, and retail spaces, as well as various services for passengers, cargo handlers and local residents in a 24-hectare area. It will be a new type of city and a destination in its own right, according to the developers.
The new brand
The new brand name of Riga Airport is RIX Riga Airport – RIX Rīgas lidosta in Latvian. The name retains the internationally recognised airport code RIX, while the full name has been simplified. The many sub-brands under the management of Riga Airport are also arranged in a single portfolio, giving them a single visual identity and names. The brand's tagline "Closer than expected" is intended to embody the idea of convenient connectivity.
The visual language of the new brand was inspired by the nature and culture of Latvia – the green, blue, and beige colours of the symbolise nature, while the graphic elements are inspired by Latvian ethnographic signs and architecture.
The new brand strategy and visual identity were created by the design studio Asketic, selected in an open tender, in cooperation with the advertising agency WKND. Airport employees and cooperation partners were involved throughout the process.
The development of the brand strategy cost €27,200, the development of the basic elements of the visual identity of the main brand (RIX Riga Airport) and sub-brands (RIX Airport City, RIX Ground Handling and RIX Academy) €25,650. The development of the brand's visual identity cost €39,757, which included graphic standards, clothing and transport visual concepts, website design, informative signs, videos, digital advertising banners, implementation plan, communication guidelines and other materials.
The introduction of the brand will take place gradually over the next four years. This year, the new visual identity will be introduced in more than half of the airport’s materials – in the digital environment, record keeping materials, souvenirs, signs, terminal information materials, clothing, transport and elsewhere.
