Lithuanian Airports head: Governments prioritized roads over aviation

The outgoing head of Lithuanian Airports (LTOU), Simonas Bartkus, has asserted that recent Lithuanian governments have consistently favored investment in road infrastructure over the development of the nation's aviation sector. Bartkus, who is stepping down from his role, believes this prioritization has impacted the potential growth of the country's airports.

Bartkus suggests that to enhance the competitiveness of Lithuanian airports on the international stage, the state needs to adopt a more defined strategy for LTOU. He also emphasized the necessity of increased state investment, particularly in airport security measures. Such investments, he argues, are crucial for modernizing facilities and ensuring compliance with international standards, thereby attracting more airlines and passengers.

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The priority of recent governments has been roads, not aviation.

His departure comes after a tenure marked by efforts to modernize and expand Lithuania's airport infrastructure. Bartkus's comments highlight a perceived imbalance in national infrastructure spending, with a call for greater attention and resources to be directed towards the aviation industry to ensure its future growth and contribution to the national economy.

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In the future, the competitiveness of the country's airports would be more rapidly increased by clarifying the LTOU strategy and increasing state investment in security.