Minister on London Flights: Business Travelers Can Fly Wizz Air

Lithuania has suspended its tender for a direct Vilnius to London route because airlines did not see enough commercial value in the proposed service.

Transport Minister Juras Taminskas said carriers had not found a profitable business model for flights from Vilnius to the London airport destinations preferred by Lithuanian business travelers. At present, Wizz Air and Ryanair operate direct flights from Vilnius to the more distant airports of Luton and Stansted.

“For now, they will have to rent a private jet or fly Wizz Air,” Taminskas said, adding that the state would try to announce another tender but would not buy an aircraft for business travelers.

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We stopped the tender because the conditions sought in the tender were not fulfilled. It is obvious that air carriers do not see a profitable business model for flying from Vilnius to the London airports our Lithuanian businesspeople want to use.

The Lithuanian Airports flight-development chief, Rūta Sinkevičiūtė, said one airline had submitted an offer for regular Vilnius-Gatwick flights, but the proposal did not meet the tender’s requirements.

The tender followed LOT Polish Airlines’ decision to end direct flights between Vilnius and London City Airport at the end of March. Lithuania has since been looking for ways to maintain connections with Heathrow, Gatwick or London City. In April, Lithuanian Airports received an additional 3.2 million euros in capital to support routes important to business and inbound tourism, as well as procedures for a new London connection.

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For now, they will have to rent a private jet or fly Wizz Air, and we will try to announce another tender, but the state will certainly not buy them an aircraft.