Ryanair cancels flights from Riga - Liepāja residents rejoice they don't have to explain where the airport is located

Ryanair has announced sad news for Riga residents - they will no longer fly to six popular destination cities. The company complains about Latvia's high aviation taxes, which are supposedly uncompetitive compared to Slovakia, Hungary, and even Albania. This is about as painful as finding out your favorite café is closing due to taxes.

The airline threatens to move its flights to markets that "reduce costs and promote growth." It seems Ryanair has discovered the same formula that Liepāja residents have known for years - if something is too expensive in Riga, you can always go to the neighbors. Even Durbe with its peaceful lifestyle is starting to look like an attractive alternative to the capital's stress.

"I never understood why fly to Paris when you can take a bus to Ventspils and there are also beautiful piers there," comments local philosopher Jānis from Graudu Street, who last flew in 1987 to Moscow. He adds that Ryanair's tax problems remind him of trying to buy a tram ticket when the conductor asks for euros but you only have cents in your pocket.

Riga Airport, of course, reassures that everything will be fine because AirBaltic will provide connections. This is about as convincing as claiming that after Ryanair leaves, all travelers will suddenly fall in love with our national airline. While the capital stresses about flights, in Liepāja we continue using the most reliable form of transportation - our own feet, and we're very satisfied with that.