Start of the aviation summer season: more frequent flights and 100 destinations from Lithuanian Airports

At the end of March, the new summer aviation season begins – offering travelers from Lithuanian airports more frequent flights and new destinations. Airline partners of Lithuanian Airports, operating from Palanga, Kaunas and Vilnius – will offer as many as 100 destinations in 54 countries this year, along with increased flight frequencies to major aviation hubs – providing more convenient connections for those traveling further afield.

Planning long-haul trips becomes easier

“We are consistently strengthening all three airports in the country – expanding destination choices and making travel increasingly convenient for passengers. We are pleased to see growth not only at Vilnius and Kaunas airports, but also at Palanga Airport, which is steadily establishing itself as an important aviation hub for Western Lithuania. We ensure reliable connections with European countries and open up more opportunities to reach other regions of the world,” says Vice Minister of Transport and Communications Roderikas Žiobakas.

“Easily accessible air travel is crucial for people planning trips during the warmer season or holidays. Our partners – airlines – have a strong understanding of travelers’ preferred destinations, as they carefully analyze data and strive to deliver the best possible experience for their passengers. Together with our partners, we aim to increase flight frequencies on routes that are important for Lithuania. Frequent direct flights between Lithuania and key European aviation hubs improve passengers’ ability to plan long-haul journeys – to the Americas, Asia or Africa,” says Simonas Bartkus, CEO of Lithuanian Airports.

S. Bartkus also notes that this summer aviation season will see increased flight frequencies to Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Helsinki and Warsaw. On average, there will be 7 daily flights from Lithuania to Copenhagen, 3 to Frankfurt, 4 to Helsinki and 5 to Warsaw. More important developments are expected across the Lithuanian Airports network – connecting Vilnius, Kaunas and Palanga.

From Vilnius – to Iceland and Montenegro

Travelers looking for new options should note that new routes are launching from Vilnius – direct scheduled flights to Gdansk in Poland, operated four times per week by Wizz Air, as well as to Podgorica in Montenegro – twice per week, also by Wizz Air. Flights to Gdansk from Vilnius Airport will begin in May, while Podgorica will be launched in early June.

Routes are also being resumed to Tirana in Albania – three times per week with Wizz Air, and to Reykjavik in Iceland – twice per week with Wizz Air. Connectivity to Zurich is also improving, with airBaltic launching flights from May 3. This route is already served from Vilnius by SWISS.

From Vilnius Airport, more frequent flights to Warsaw will be operated by LOT Polish Airlines, to Copenhagen – by SAS, and to Munich, Prague and Paris – by airBaltic. Finnair plans to increase frequencies to Helsinki, Norwegian – to Oslo, and Lufthansa – to Frankfurt. Most of these increased frequencies will already take effect ahead of Easter – between March 30 and April 5.

Ryanair will also increase flight frequencies from Vilnius Airport during the summer season to Frankfurt, Berlin, Athens, Treviso, Milan (Bergamo), Rome and London Stansted.

Wizz Air will offer more frequent flights to Barcelona, Dortmund, Budapest, Malaga, Billund and Larnaca. The airline will also continue routes launched during the winter aviation season – to Krakow, Nice, Tallinn and Turku.

Connectivity with Tel Aviv will be strengthened by a new carrier – Arkia Israeli Airlines – as well as Israir, which began operations last year. flydubai has scheduled regular flights to Dubai, with this route now becoming a year-round destination – previously available only during the winter season. Summer connectivity with Dubai provides convenient onward connections to more distant destinations, as Dubai is a global aviation hub. Flight schedules to Tel Aviv and Dubai may change due to the evolving situation in the region; the latest information is available on the official websites of the respective airlines.

Kaunas – popular routes and tempting options to Southern Europe

The biggest news for travelers flying from Kaunas Airport is airBaltic’s five weekly flights to the Latvian capital Riga – opening up convenient onward connections to nearly 80 destinations across Europe. A flight from Riga to Kaunas on March 29 will mark the start of the summer aviation season in Kaunas and welcome back airBaltic to the airport.

Wizz Air will continue operating flights from Kaunas to London Luton Airport. Meanwhile, Ryanair will also maintain flights between Kaunas and Luton, and will increase frequencies to London Stansted. The airline will also offer routes from Kaunas to Dublin, Bristol, Liverpool, Edinburgh and Shannon – making travel to Ireland and the United Kingdom especially convenient during the summer season.

Among the most popular warm-weather destinations from Kaunas Airport, S. Bartkus highlights the Greek island of Rhodes and Cyprus, as well as Italian cities such as Bari, Pisa, Pescara, Rimini, Milan and Naples. Passenger flows to Spain will be driven by flights to Madrid, Malaga and Mallorca, along with increased frequencies to Alicante.

New in Palanga – flights to Bergen, Norway

A key addition for travelers flying from Palanga this summer season is direct flights to Bergen, operated by Norwegian. The airline will also continue flights to the Norwegian capital, Oslo. The first flight to Bergen – on March 31 – will mark the start of the summer aviation season in Palanga.

Lithuanian Airports (LTOU) have attracted five carriers to Palanga Airport. During the summer aviation season, airBaltic will operate flights to Riga and Amsterdam, Ryanair – to London Stansted, and SAS – to Copenhagen. Wizz Air is also returning to the airport with flights to Oslo. As the summer aviation season begins, charter flights to Turkey and Egypt – launched last year and met with strong demand – will also continue.

Summing up, S. Bartkus notes that LTOU enters the summer aviation season with a network of 100 destinations across 54 countries from all three airports. This gives travelers a wide range of options for their summer holidays, while making it easier for international visitors to reach Lithuania.