According to the Director of Lithuanian Airports Marius Gelžinis, during the first quarter, growth was observed in the majority of areas including the number of flights, passengers and destinations.
“The most impressive growth in the number of passengers was observed at Vilnius Airport, where it reached 17 % and passenger flow surpassed 977 000. Kaunas Airport was close behind reaching a 16 % growth in the same category while passenger flow in Palanga Airport remained very similar compared to the year before”, says Marius Gelžinis. He added that in the first quarter of 2018, Lithuanian Airports served 1.2 million passengers, which represents a 16 % growth compared to last year’s numbers.
If the numbers continue to grow as rapidly as they do, Marius Gelžinis believes that by the end of the year Lithuanian Airports will have broken a new record by serving almost 6 million passengers.
In the first quarter of 2018, Vilnius Airport also enjoyed the fastest growth in the number of flights served. The numbers here increased by a tenth while in Kaunas they rose by 1 %. Overall, during the January - March period, Lithuanian Airports saw an increase of 8 % in flight numbers bringing their total to 13 000.
“Good results were influenced by the rising variety of regular flights. We are happy to offer 86 destinations from the airports of Vilnius, Kaunas and Palanga. Summer flight season opened at the end of March offering passengers exciting new opportunities. Vilnius Airport now operates flights to Athens and Corfu Island while Kaunas Airport offers flights to Girona, Burgas and Rimini”, says Director of Lithuanian Airports Marius Gelžinis.
Although Lithuanian Airports keep on expanding their route map, the most popular destinations remain the same. In the first quarter of 2018, 19 % of passengers in all three Lithuanian airports travelled to the United Kingdom, 10 % to Germany and 8 % to Norway.
London Luton Airport remains the most popular airport among passengers travelling from Vilnius, Kaunas and Palanga with 11 % of passengers choosing this destination. Other popular choices include Copenhagen and Warsaw with 6 % each.
It was established that more than half of all Lithuanian Airports passengers flew with “Ryanair” and “Wizz Air” airlines in the first quarter of 2018. The remaining passengers chose “airBaltic”, “LOT”, “Scandinavian Airlines”, “Ukraine International Airlines” and other air carries.
About Lithuanian Airports
The Lithuanian airport network includes three airports in Vilnius, Kaunas, and Palanga. During 2017, they serviced 5.2 million passengers and 55 thousand flights. During the winter season, 15 airlines organize flights in 65 directions to 56 cities in 26 countries. Based on data of the Airports Council International (ACI Europe), Lithuanian Airports contribute to the Lithuania’s GDP by 2.5 percent.
