Breaking news and continuous routes
Without doubt, the key news for passengers travelling from Vilnius are three sunny routes: direct regular flights of airBaltic company to Dubai, Tenerife and Gran Canaria.
This autumn and winter the highest number of routes, as many as 5, from Vilnius will connect Lithuania to Germany having the best economy in Europe. Airplanes from Vilnius will also fly to London, the capital of the United Kingdom, and Paris, the capital of France. It is planned to renew the route to Grenoble (France) in January next year. Direct flights from Vilnius to Vienna, the capital of Austria, and Brussels, the capital of Belgium will also be continued during winter season.
Important connection of the country with the United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, Spain will be further ensured by Kaunas Airport. It is clear already that passengers will be able to reach as many as four cities in the United Kingdom from Kaunas in winter: London, Liverpool, Edinburgh and Bristol. It will be possible to reach Bergen, Aalesund and Stavanger in Norway by air as well as Dublin and Shannon in Ireland. Among news about Kaunas Airport: the route to Milan in Italy will be launched at the end of October.
Passengers will be able to fly to Riga, London, Copenhagen, and Oslo regularly from Palanga Airport during winter aviation season.
Seasonality impact on aviation
According to Tomas Zitikis, Route Development Manager of the Lithuanian Airports, needs of people and habits of the Lithuanian travellers undergo changes during cold season due to various reasons: beginning of a school year, weather gets colder at favourite resorts, so demand for flights also undergoes changes, especially to certain destinations. The expert states that demand for flights at the market of our region during winter season as compared to summer period may decrease for even 40-50 per cent.
“Impact on seasonality on changes is a usual part of routine for the European aviation every year that causes a review of route maps by airlines. Low-cost carriers make more changes due to their business model: they temporarily suspend flights to certain routes, for instance, to those popular in summer. It is natural as a part of hotel complexes is closed down in winter because the decline in tourism arises. Although a majority of popular routes are launched again in spring”, the Route Development Manager of the Lithuanian Airports notes.
According to T. Zitikis, due to that consistent basis the Lithuanian Airlines give especially much attention to connection with the main capitals in Europe, which often become gates to farther places, and traditional airline actively seek to use new opportunities this year.
“The traditional airlines increase the number of flights on a majority of top routes this year, notably improve connectivity of Lithuania and its quality”, the Route Development Manager of the Lithuanian Airports says.
For example, Finnair Finnish Airlines will make four flights a day from Vilnius to Helsinki during winter aviation season this year. Flights from Vilnius to Frankfurt by Lufthansa German Airlines will fly twice a day. The number of flights to Copenhagen by SAS Scandinavian Airlines will increase up to 19 per week at the end of October, and 12 flights per week will fly to Stockholm through the Lithuanian Airports.
It is important to mention that, contrary to the previous winter season, direct flights to Vienna and Brussels will be made this winter. Austrian Airlines that has started to transport passengers to the capital of Austria in summer will continue making even three flights per week. Brussels Airlines will continue flights to Brussels four times per week.
airBaltic Airlines will connect the capital of Lithuania to the capital of Estonia by means of even 7 flights per week; as many as two flights will be made on some days.
12 airlines foresee to fly regular flights in Lithuania during winter season, of which 9 are traditional airlines, and other 3 airlines are low-cost carriers.
