All-Time Record: Lithuanian Airports Serve 7.16 Million Passengers in a Year

In 2025, Lithuanian Airports handled a total of 7,158,699 passengers across their network—an increase of 8.3% compared to 2024. This marks a new all-time record for Lithuania’s air connectivity, reflecting the results of a long-term strategy, targeted investments, and consistent efforts.

“Despite challenges, 2025 became a record-breaking year for Lithuanian aviation—with more than 7 million passengers, growth across all three airports, and the regaining of leadership in the Baltic region after 20 years. New airlines, new routes, and consistently implemented modernization and development projects mean simpler and more convenient travel, greater choice, and better global connections for passengers. We are confidently looking ahead—we are ready to continue growing and expanding people’s opportunities to travel, work, and stay connected,” said Minister of Transport Juras Taminskas.

7 Million Reached Before Christmas

“Nearly 7.16 million passengers per year is more than just a number for us. It represents countless meetings, business agreements, holidays, and other stories that have brought Lithuania closer to the world. This record also demonstrates the importance of our team’s cohesion and cooperation with various public institutions in strengthening the country’s resilience to external threats,” said Simonas Bartkus, CEO of Lithuanian Airports.

According to Bartkus, the Lithuanian Airports (LTOU) team had anticipated reaching this milestone by tracking passenger flows month by month. Just before Christmas, he personally welcomed the seven-millionth passenger at Vilnius Airport.

December 2025 was particularly intense: during the holiday travel period alone, more than 535,500 passengers were served across Vilnius, Kaunas, and Palanga airports—an increase of 12.7% compared to December 2024.

Over the year, Vilnius Airport handled the largest share of passengers—over 5.11 million (up 6.4% year-on-year). Kaunas Airport served around 1.6 million passengers (up 12%), while Palanga Airport handled nearly 448,400 passengers (up 18.7%).

Together, the three Lithuanian airports—Vilnius, Kaunas, and Palanga—captured 40.3% of the Baltic aviation market, surpassing Riga Airport, which served just over 7.11 million passengers in 2025.

Most Popular Destinations Revealed

Throughout the year, more than 59,000 flights were operated across Lithuanian Airports. Compared to 2024, the number of flights increased by nearly 2.5% in Vilnius, 8.1% in Kaunas, and 12.6% in Palanga.

As in previous years, London remained the most popular regular flight destination, chosen by more than 846,000 passengers. Copenhagen ranked second, followed by Riga, Warsaw, and Frankfurt. The top ten destinations also included Oslo, Milan, Stockholm, Dublin, and Istanbul.

Bartkus emphasized that key international connections were deliberately strengthened through partnerships with airlines. Carriers increased flight frequencies and deployed larger aircraft, offering more seats. As a result, major European hubs such as Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Frankfurt, Brussels, and Helsinki became even more accessible, along with Dubai as a key hub for connections to Asia. This also improved opportunities for connecting flights to North America, Asia, and Africa.

New Routes Welcomed by Passengers

In 2025, new airlines joined the Lithuanian Airports network, including flydubai and Israir, further expanding the country’s route map.

Passengers showed strong interest in new routes launched last year. During the summer aviation season, Wizz Air introduced flights from Vilnius to Bergen (Norway), Budapest (Hungary), Catania (Italy), and Billund (Denmark), while airBaltic launched routes to Prague (Czech Republic) and Tirana (Albania). From Kaunas, passengers enjoyed summer travel to Pescara (Italy). Meanwhile, Palanga Airport introduced charter flights to Antalya (Turkey) and Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt).

In the winter season, Palanga saw the launch of regular Wizz Air flights to Oslo, while from Vilnius passengers could explore Turku (Finland) or travel to sunny Dubai with flydubai.

At the peak of the travel season, airlines offered nearly 100 destinations from Lithuania.

Maintaining Momentum in 2026

One of the key goals for this year, according to Bartkus, is to further strengthen and expand partnerships, as stable and frequent flights are essential for sustainable growth.

Infrastructure projects will also continue. One of the most significant is the design of a new arrivals terminal at Vilnius Airport, entrusted to the international architecture firm Zaha Hadid Architects. The new terminal is expected to open to passengers by the end of 2028. Reconstruction of the old departures terminal is also underway, with new spaces set to open in the second quarter of 2026.

“The successful completion and opening of the new departures terminal at Vilnius Airport, along with the reconstruction of Kaunas Airport, have given us valuable lessons and confidence. We have a clear strategic direction leading us toward new achievements—primarily by ensuring the best possible experience and convenience for every passenger,” Bartkus concluded. He emphasized that every choice to travel through Lithuanian airports supports better connectivity and strengthens the country’s visibility on the global map.

A public survey conducted in Lithuania last year showed that 9 out of 10 respondents believe the quality of the country’s air connectivity has improved in recent years. Key factors identified included cooperation with traditional airlines, investment in infrastructure and staff, and the implementation of flight incentive models.