LOT Polish Airlines will continue operating flights between Vilnius and London City airports after the Lithuanian operator signed an investment agreement with the company.
The agreement between Lithuanian Airports and LOT was signed after the Polish company was picked to service the route deemed strategically important by the Lithuanian government.
One of the requirements was that the route be serviced at times and frequencies convenient for business travellers.
“Starting from October, the flights from Vilnius, which will be continued under the new incentive model, will be operated at times that are very convenient for business travellers, which, we believe, will also contribute to the growth in its popularity,” said Lithuanian Airports head Simonas Bartkus in a statement.
“We will make every effort to ensure that the necessary funding is provided from the government budget for the effective continuation of the development of flights in the coming years as well,” he added.
Flights between Vilnius and London City were launched in May 2019 after the government decided to subsidise them in order to facilitate business connections between Lithuania and the UK. The route was serviced by LOT from the very beginning.
This project was one of the few regulatory exemptions from the European Commission allowing an airline to receive state aid for the operation of a flight.
However, following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, funding for flights between Vilnius and London City under this model can no longer be extended. The extension of the flights is done under a new arrangement allowing to subsidise important transport connections.
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