Lithuania is seeking to establish a direct air route to London Heathrow after the flights between Vilnius and London City Airport will be cancelled from late March, a Lithuanian Airports (LTOU) official said on Wednesday.
"We are holding active talks with potential carriers to ensure not only a direct link to London but also onward connections via the city. As is well known, London Heathrow is the world's best-connected airport, offering access to virtually the rest of the world," LTOU Route Development Manager Martynas Jaugelavičius told LRT Radio.
The decision to cancel the Vilnius–London City route was taken as a last resort after all possible measures to preserve it had been exhausted, Jaugelavičius said, citing marketing, legal, and financial efforts.
LOT Polish Airlines began operating London City flights in 2019, not only from Vilnius but also from Warsaw and Budapest, though the service has since been discontinued from those cities as well.
Jaugelavičius said operating the route was difficult, requiring specially certified aircraft and crews, while the airport itself imposed strict constraints. He added that the service also faced strong competition from low-cost carriers flying to London Luton and Stansted airports.
Investors' Forum, an association of foreign investors in Lithuania, criticised the decision, saying it undermines the country's international competitiveness and runs counter to ambitions to attract high value-added investment.
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