Over the past five years, Latvian prime ministers have used airport VIP lounges during 29 foreign business trips, according to information provided to the LETA news agency by the State Chancellery.
The Chancellery explains that, in international practice, the movement of top state officials—such as heads of state, parliaments, and governments—through airports during official visits abroad is separated from the general passenger flow for security reasons, typically through the use of VIP service facilities. At the same time, such services are often necessary to ensure timely arrival at destinations, particularly in cases where a demanding schedule and tightly planned visit programme require swift transfers to connecting flights.
It is also noted that high-ranking officials are generally granted diplomatic immunity, which often includes exemptions from standard aviation security procedures. Airports provide appropriate infrastructure for simplified or waived security checks as part of VIP services, usually within designated VIP centres or lounges.
Under Latvian law, the President, the Speaker of the Saeima, and the Prime Minister are designated as protected persons, whose security is ensured by specialized security personnel. As a result, senior officials are accompanied during foreign visits by one or more security officers, often carrying weapons or special equipment that require specific permits and inspections at airports. According to the State Chancellery, these procedures are carried out within VIP service areas.
The Chancellery further explains that VIP services typically include separate escort to and from the aircraft,
transfers in dedicated vehicles during transit, infrastructure for simplified or waived security checks, guaranteed baggage handling, check-in or re-check-in for connecting flights, and separate facilities for rest and work isolated from the main passenger terminal.
According to the State Chancellery, airport VIP services are standard offerings with fixed costs per person, not calculated based on time spent but set as a fixed fee corresponding to diplomatic missions. The provision of such services also follows the principle of reciprocity: if Latvia covers VIP service costs when hosting foreign officials, the same is generally done for Latvian officials abroad.
When the Latvian Prime Minister travels abroad, VIP services at the destination airport are most often covered by the host country. Depending on the status of the visit, this may also apply to all or part of the accompanying delegation. If only part of the delegation is covered, the rest uses regular passenger terminals.
The State Chancellery emphasizes that direct flights are used whenever possible.
However, when this is not feasible and transit flights are required, VIP services are used and paid for from the Latvian state budget. In exceptional cases, VIP services may also be covered by the state budget at the destination—for example, during large-scale international events where the host country does not provide such services.
In 2026, Prime Minister Evika Siliņa used airport VIP services funded from the state budget during five official trips. These included a working visit to Paris in early January, participation in an informal European Council meeting in Brussels with transit through Copenhagen, a visit to Croatia via Amsterdam, attendance at the Munich Security Conference, and a visit to Ukraine via Warsaw, where VIP facilities were also used to ensure a secure environment for participation in a remote meeting of NB8 leaders. The total costs for these trips ranged from 925 euros to 3,120 euros per visit, depending on the size of the delegation and services required.
In 2025, Siliņa used VIP services on four occasions, including trips to Brussels, Munich, Paris, and Ukraine. In one case in Paris, the entire delegation used VIP services due to tight scheduling constraints that made it impossible to reach the meeting venue in time through standard passenger procedures. That visit alone cost the state 3,746 euros.
In 2024, VIP services funded by the state budget were used during nine official trips.
These included visits to Munich, the United States, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Switzerland, Belgium, and Hungary. Notably, during the return journey from the United States, unexpected changes to flight routes resulted in a 22-hour trip via Washington, London, and Amsterdam. At London Heathrow Airport, VIP services were not used due to their high cost; instead, a business lounge was used.
In 2023, the year Siliņa took office, she used VIP airport services during four official trips, including visits to Brussels and Denmark. The State Chancellery notes that costs related to accompanying security personnel are typically reimbursed by the respective security institutions.
VIP airport services were also used by the previous Prime Minister, Krišjānis Kariņš. In 2023, he used such services during visits to Poland and the United Kingdom. In 2022, VIP services were used during five foreign trips, including visits to Canada, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain, and the United States.
During the U.S. visit, VIP services were also used by Kariņš’s minor daughter. These costs were initially covered by the State Chancellery but were later reimbursed from the salaries of Kariņš and two of his staff members, with the funds returned to the state budget.
According to the State Chancellery, in 2021 no airport VIP services funded from the Latvian state budget were used by the Prime Minister’s office.
Read also: BNN IN FOCUS | airBaltic crisis and the VIP lounge story: two blows to the government in one week