Top court rules Vilnius Airport charge increase lawful

Lithuanian Airports (LTOU) welcome the final and unappealable favourable decision of the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania, confirming that Vilnius Airport lawfully changed its charges in 2023.  

The decision of the Court of Appeal rejecting the complaints of the airlines Ryanair and Wizz Air confirms that Lithuanian Airports properly applied the legal acts regulating the setting of airport charges and complied with all the procedural rules established in the legal acts when setting airport charges. The decision to change the charges from January 1, 2023, was dictated by the significant increase in operational costs in various areas over the preceding years. Furthermore, the aforementioned airport charges at the capital’s airport had not been changed since 2018. 

The essential components of airport pricing are the use of the common infrastructure for the handling of departing or arriving passengers, aircraft landing, aircraft parking, special needs passenger service and the provision of certain specific services. Aviation pricing, which can be reviewed annually, is regulated – its model at European Union airports is regulated by the European Commission and must be based on costs and investments, therefore charges are calculated according to the prescribed formulas and principles. 

From 2023 to 2025, the number of passengers at Vilnius Airport increased by 16% and the number of flights increased by 9%. Despite (and during) the legal dispute, the number of passengers carried by both Ryanair and Wizz Air at Vilnius Airport also increased significantly – by 10% and 19%, respectively. 

Vilnius Airport’s charges remain unchanged from 2023 to this day, ensuring the airport’s competitiveness in the region.  

By its decision issued on March 27, 2024, the Vilnius Regional Administrative Court rejected the complaint of the applicants. After the rejection, the applicants appealed the court decision to the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania, which finally and irrevocably rejected the complaint of the applicants on April 4, 2026.