The results of the survey that was conducted in May showed that the news of the approaching reconstruction has already reached two thirds, i.e. 66%, of the residents of the country. Twenty-five per cent of participants claimed to have all the necessary information, while 41% said that they know the fact, but not all the details.
“The number of people who know about the reconstruction has increased since the first survey conducted in November 2016, when this number comprised 57%. This shows that we are moving in the right direction. The runway reconstruction in Vilnius Airport is relevant to those residents of Lithuania who plan to go abroad in July or August as well as to those who plan to return from abroad. We do our best to prevent any potential inconvenience for the passengers, so notifying of the approaching reconstruction as well as providing detailed information is a particularly important task,” states Donatas Voveris, COO at Lithuanian Airports.
He also notes that, according to the survey data, Lithuanians have a positive attitude towards the reconstruction: 47% of participants think that it is better to close the airport for a short period of time and to fix the runway fully, and 30% say that flight safety is important. Women have the most positive attitude towards the reconstruction.
Important Travel Matters
During the survey, it was ascertained that most passengers are particularly interested in the possibilities of reaching Kaunas Airport, to which flights from Vilnius will be transferred for 35 summer days.
In general, approximately half of the residents of the country have heard about opportunities of reaching Kaunas Airport during the reconstruction. Most people were aware of additional interurban bus trips and better functioning of local public transport as well as of additional parking spaces in car parks.
According to D. Voveris, Kaunas Airport is actively preparing for the increased passenger flow in summer; in addition, more varied opportunities of reaching Kaunas are being discussed with partners.
“An additional long-term car park is being built next to Kaunas Airport, the number of parking spaces in existing car parks is increased. Also, two carrier companies, “Ollex” and “Toks”, responded to our request and will offer additional routes and better schedules to our passengers during the reconstruction; they will also coordinate the departure times of buses with flight schedules,” says D. Voveris.
Attention to Detail
After the survey, it was discovered that 34% of participants know the exact date when the reconstruction will start. More women than men know that the airport reconstruction will begin on 14 July; young people under 25 are also a group that is the most aware of the reconstruction date. Residents of major cities were the ones that gave the correct answer the most often. As a comparison, last year only 23% of residents knew the exact time of the reconstruction.
Lithuanians also remember that almost all flights will be transferred from Vilnius Airport to Kaunas during the reconstruction: 51% of participants were aware of this fact, that is, 6% more than last year. Thirty-six per cent think that most flights will be in Kaunas, while a small part of flights will be moved to Palanga Airport.
Finally, many residents know exactly why the reconstruction of the runway in Vilnius Airport is crucial: 39% of participants agreed with the opinion that the runway has not been reconstructed for a long time and is in poor technical condition and, therefore, is close to critical state. As a comparison, during the previous survey the correct answer to this question was given by 40% of participants.
About Lithuanian Airports
The network of Lithuanian Airports includes three air gateways in Vilnius, Kaunas, and Palanga. In 2016, they handled 4.8 million passengers and 52,000 flights. During the summer season, 16 airlines offer 84 routes to 59 cities in 26 countries from Lithuanian airports. According to Airports Council International Europe (ACI Europe), Lithuanian Airports contribute 2.5 per cent to Lithuania’s GDP.
* 1007 residents of the country participated in the survey; their age ranges from 18 to 75 years old; 45% of participants live in major Lithuanian cities, and 55% live in central parts of districts and in rural areas. The first survey was conducted in November 2016.
