Mantas, a Vilnius resident, contacted LRT.lt outraged by the cancellation of a direct Air Baltic flight to Berlin in January.
“They announced the flight, sold tickets, but cancelled it,” Mantas said, adding that in winter, all Air Baltic flights between Vilnius and Berlin connect in Riga.
According to Air Baltic, direct flights from Vilnius to Berlin will be temporarily suspended from January 7 until March 7, 2024, due to lower demand.
“It has been observed that consumer interest in travelling in the Baltic region usually drops seasonally after the New Year,” Air Baltic told LRT.lt in a written comment.
Meanwhile, Tomas Zitikis, head of Aviation Services at Lithuanian Airports, noted that all route changes are up to the airlines.
According to him, airlines assess the competitive environment and closely monitor the demand and profitability of their routes.
“Many routes in Europe, and Lithuania in particular, are more popular in the summer, while in the winter months, ticket sales drop considerably. [...] In many cases, popular routes, although temporarily suspended during the winter season, are back on sale from the beginning of the summer aviation season,” Zitkis said.
According to him, other airlines still operate direct Vilnius-Berlin flights in the winter season.
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