Vilnius Airport
Vilnius International Airport (IATA: VNO, ICAO: EYVI) (Lithuanian: Vilniaus oro uostas) is the airport of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. It is located 5.9 km (3.7 mi) south[2] of the city center. It is the largest of the three commercial airports in Lithuania by passenger traffic. With one runway and 5 million passengers a year.[1] Vilnius International Airport serves as a base for airBaltic, Ryanair, and Wizz Air. The airport is managed by state-owned enterprise Lithuanian Airports under the Ministry of Transport and Communications.[3]
Vilnius International Airport Tarptautinis Vilniaus oro uostas | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | |||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||
| Owner | Lithuanian government | ||||||||||||
| Operator | SE "Lithuanian Airports" | ||||||||||||
| Serves | Vilnius, Lithuania | ||||||||||||
| Hub for | airBaltic | ||||||||||||
| Focus city for | |||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 646 ft / 197 m | ||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 54°38′13″N 025°17′16″E / 54.63694°N 25.28778°ECoordinates: 54°38′13″N 025°17′16″E / 54.63694°N 25.28778°E | ||||||||||||
| Website | vno.lt | ||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||
VNO Location within Vilnius VNO VNO (Lithuania) | |||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||
| Statistics (2019) | |||||||||||||
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Source: Lithuanian Airports, 2020[1] | |||||||||||||
History
Early years
The airport began operations on 17 August 1932 as Wilno–Porubanek, Porubanek was the name of the neighbouring village which today is part of the Kirtimai district of Vilnius. Before World War II, it operated the then-domestic route between Wilno (Vilnius) and Warsaw as well as international route to Riga. Since 15 April 1939, it inaugurated a new route to Kovno (nowadays Kaunas). The airport was used as a military airfield during WWII. The airport resumed its activity as a civil airport as of 17 July 1944.[4]
Recent developments
Lithuanian Airlines (branded later as FlyLAL) was established as the Lithuanian flag carrier following independence in 1991 and inherited the Vilnius-based Aeroflot fleet of Tupolev Tu-134, Yakovlev Yak-40, Yak-42 and Antonov An-24, An-26 aircraft, but rapidly replaced these Soviet-era aircraft types with modern Boeing 737 and Boeing 757 jets and Saab 340, Saab 2000 turboprops. Operations were suspended effective 17 January 2009 as a result of growing financial difficulties. With the collapse of flyLAL, the airport lost its scheduled services to Amsterdam, Budapest, Istanbul, Madrid and Tbilisi. flyLAL used to operate to Dublin, Frankfurt, London, Milan and Paris in competition with Aer Lingus, airBaltic or Lufthansa.[citation needed]
AirBaltic, the national airline of Latvia and under Scandinavian Airlines part-ownership, opened up a second base at Vilnius in 2004 to complement its Riga operation and became the largest carrier at Vilnius, using Boeing 737 jets and Fokker 50 turboprops. At one point, airBaltic operated to 19 destinations from Vilnius but, in 2009, the network covered only three destinations served by two aircraft based at Vilnius.[citation needed]
Vilnius Airport is the main hub for Grand Cru Airlines and a base for Wizz Air. It used to be a main hub for Star1 Airlines until their end of operations in September 2010 and Aurela until Aurela had lost its flight license. It was the hub for Small Planet Airlines and Aviavilsa until both airlines folded. The airport was a secondary hub for airBaltic, Estonian Air and Skyways Express until they closed the bases in Vilnius.[citation needed]
On 30 June 2013, Air Lituanica also began its flights from the Vilnius Airport and established its base there serving several European cities. However, by 22 May 2015, the airline shut down all operations as well.[5]
The airport was closed for 35 days from 14 July 2017 to 17 August 2017 (inclusive) for runway reconstruction work, with all flights diverted to Kaunas Airport.[6][7]
Terminal
The construction of the airport building started in 1949 and completed in 1954.[4] It features a standard 1950s Soviet airport terminal design, originally intended for an airport with up to 20 aircraft movements per day. On the outside, it is decorated with sculptures of soldiers, workers and aviators, while inside walls and ceilings feature wreaths, bay leaves and stars, and until the early 1990s, the Soviet hammer and sickle, typical decor for Soviet public buildings of early post-war years.[citation needed]
A new departure terminal, connected with the old building, was built in 1993.[8] Since then, the old building has been used as the arrival terminal only.[4]
In November 2007, the new 1,000 m2 (11,000 sq ft) terminal building was opened for operations which improved the capacity and facilities of the airport and complies with the requirements of the Schengen agreement.[citation needed] The passenger throughput of the terminal increased, passenger service quality was improved and more stringent aviation security measures were implemented. The new area of the renovated passenger terminal now reaches 3,462 m2 (37,260 sq ft). It is equipped with 6 passenger boarding bridges, modern passenger check-in equipment, new travel value and duty-free shops were opened as well as business lounge and VIP Lounge.[9]
New departure terminal
A new passenger departure terminal module in the northern part of the airport will be built at Vilnius Airport. After the construction of this 14.4 thousand. Kv. meters terminal, the total area of vilnius airport passenger terminals will increase by a third, and passenger throughput will double – from 1200 passengers per hour to 2400. In parallel with the construction of the new terminal, the redevelopment of the transport accesses located in front of Vilnius Airport will also be carried out: engineering networks will be updated, the coating will be changed, roofs will be installed and a new, much more permeable transport scheme will be created.
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights to and from Vilnius:
Cargo
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| DHL Aviation[31] | Leipzig/Halle, Riga |
| Turkish Cargo[32] | Istanbul, Prague |
Statistics
Passenger traffic
"Vilnius airport statistics".
Annual traffic
| Year | Passengers | % Change | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 (Jan-Aug) | 2,173,244 | - | - |
| 2021 | 1,898,817 | 44.68% | 585,349 |
| 2020 | 1,312,468 | 73.78% | 3,692,453 |
| 2019 | 5,004,921 | 1.7% | 81,972 |
| 2018 | 4,922,949 | 30.9% | 1,161,112 |
| 2017 | 3,761,837 | 1.4% | 52,164 |
| 2016 | 3,814,001 | 14.3% | 477,917 |
| 2015 | 3,336,084 | 13.4% | 393,414 |
| 2014 | 2,942,670 | 10.6% | 280,801 |
| 2013 | 2,661,869 | 20.6% | 453,773 |
| 2012 | 2,208,096 | 28.9% | 495,629 |
| 2011 | 1,712,467 | 24.7% | 338,608 |
| 2010 | 1,373,859 | 5.0% | 65,227 |
| 2009 | 1,308,632 | 36.1% | 739,807 |
| 2008 | 2,048,439 | 19.3% | 331,217 |
| 2007 | 1,717,222 | 18.3% | 265,754 |
| 2006 | 1,451,468 | 13.2% | 169,596 |
| 2005 | 1,281,872 | 33.0% | 317,708 |
| 2004 | 964,164 |
Busiest routes
| Rank | Airport | Passengers | Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | 468,000 | Ryanair, Wizz Air |
| 2 | Frankfurt | 276,000 | Lufthansa, Ryanair |
| 3 | Oslo | 261,000 | Ryanair, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Wizz Air |
| 4 | Warsaw | 253,000 | LOT Polish Airlines, Wizz Air |
| 5 | Antalya | 245,000 | Small Planet Airlines, GetJet Airlines |
| 6 | Kyiv | 229,000 | Ukraine International, Wizz Air, Ryanair |
| 7 | Riga | 199,000 | airBaltic |
| 8 | Milan | 175,000 | Wizz Air, Ryanair |
| 9 | Stockholm | 167,000 | Norwegian Air Shuttle, Scandinavian Airlines, Wizz Air |
| 10 | Moscow | 152,000 | Aeroflot |
| 11 | Paris | 134,000 | airBaltic, Ryanair, Wizz Air |
| 12 | Copenhagen | 114,000 | Scandinavian Airlines |
| 13 | Helsinki | 110,000 | Finnair |
| 14 | Brussels | 98,000 | Brussels Airlines |
| 15 | Barcelona | 93,000 | Wizz Air, Ryanair |
| 16 | Tallinn | 91,000 | Nordica, airBaltic |
| 17 | Berlin | 84,000 | airBaltic |
| 18 | Istanbul | 83,000 | Turkish Airlines |
| 19 | Rome | 82,000 | Wizz Air, Ryanair |
| 20 | Hurghada | 68,000 | Small Planet Airlines, GetJet Airlines |
Most frequent routes
| Rank | City | Flights per week |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warsaw Chopin | ~28 |
| 2 | Riga | ~25 |
| 3 | Helsinki | ~21 |
| 4 | Stockholm Arlanda | ~16 |
| 5 | London Luton | ~14 |
| 6 | Copenhagen | ~13 |
| 7 | Tallinn | ~11 |
| 8 | Oslo Gardermoen | ~10 |
| 9 | Istanbul | ~10 |
| 10 | Frankfurt | ~10 |
Ground transportation
Train
Direct train services between Vilnius Airport Railway Station (referred to as "Oro uostas" in the schedules) and the central station of Vilnius were started in October 2008. Distance from the Airport to the Vilnius Central Railway Station (LTG Link) is 4.3 kilometres (2.7 mi), the journey takes 8 minutes.
Bus
The direct intercity express services operate from the Airport to Klaipėda, Palanga, Minsk and Daugavpils. Also, the Latvian company Flybus.lv operates service from Vilnius airport to Riga (via Panevėžys and Bauska).[36]
Public transportation
City's public buses operate from the airport. Tickets can be bought from: Trafi, M.Ticket. Also, the company Toks transports passengers from the bus station to Vilnius airport and back by microbuses.[36]
Aviation services
Passenger handling, aircraft handling, into-plane fueling and de-icing/anti-icing services are handled by BGS and Litcargus.[37]
Incidents and accidents
- Scandinavian Airlines Flight 2748, operated with Dash-8-400 (LN-RDS) with 48 passengers and 4 crew members, took off from Copenhagen Airport on 12 September 2007. It was heading to Palanga, Lithuania, but was diverted to Vilnius Airport (better suited for an emergency landing) when landing gear problems were discovered before landing. Upon touchdown, the right landing gear collapsed. All passengers and crew were evacuated safely. The local officials at the Vilnius International Airport noted that this was the most serious incident in recent years. This accident, along with the Aalborg accident just days earlier, caused all SAS Dash 8 Q400 planes to be grounded until the beginning of October.
- On 23 May 2021, Ryanair Flight 4978, operated using a Boeing 737-8AS with 171 passengers on board, traveling in Belarusian airspace en route from Athens to Vilnius, was intercepted by a Belarusian MiG-29 before it could reach Lithuanian airspace. It was then forced to land at Minsk National Airport. Upon landing, the Belarusian KGB arrested two of the passengers, opposition activist Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega. The other passengers were allowed to reboard the plane to depart for Vilnius after seven hours.
See also
References
- ^ a b "VNO". www.ltou.lt. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
- ^ "EAD Basic". Ead.eurocontrol.int. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
- ^ "Institutions and Enterprises under the Regulation of the Ministry". sumin.lrv.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 8 June 2017.
- ^ a b c "Vilnius International Airport - Istorija". www.vilnius-airport.lt. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
- ^ "Air Lituanica ceases operations". ch-aviation. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- ^ "Reconstruction of the runway of Vilnius Airport". Vilnius Airport.
- ^ "Vilnius Airport to be closed for a renovation until Aug. 17". The Seattle Times. 13 July 2017.
- ^ iVilnius.lt. "By plane | How to arrive | Learn | iVilnius - Vilnius city guide". iVilnius - Vilnius city guide. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
- ^ "Vilnius Airport will have a new passenger terminal". sumin.lrv.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 4 February 2017.
- ^ "Riga to Vilnius". fly.airbaltic.com. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
- ^ "airBaltic NS23 Network Adjustment – 28SEP22". AeroRoutes. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
- ^ "AirBaltic NW22 Network Changes – 04SEP22".
- ^ "Air Baltic verbindet Hannover mit Riga". 28 September 2022.
- ^ "Air Baltic verbindet Hannover mit Riga". 28 September 2022.
- ^ "Air Baltic verbindet Hannover mit Riga". 28 September 2022.
- ^ "Air Baltic verbindet Hannover mit Riga". 28 September 2022.
- ^ "Austrian Airlines opens seven new destinations next summer". Austrian Airlines. 9 November 2022. from the original on 9 November 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Novaturas Flights en". Novaturas flights. 29 May 2022.
- ^ "Brussels Airlines to suspend Vilnius-Brussels flights during winter season". 15 September 2022.
- ^ a b "Our directions". itaka.lt.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Tez Tour užsakomųjų skrydžių bilietai". 4 September 2022.
- ^ "Flights from Vilnius". Norwegian. 23 November 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Summer 2023: Norwegian launches more than twenty new routes from Denmark and Norway". 17 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Ryanair". www.ryanair.com. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
- ^ ""Ryanair" skelbia naują kryptį: Iš Vilniaus skraidys į Turiną". 8 June 2022.
- ^ "Ryanair NS23 Network Additions – 05DEC22".
- ^ "SunExpress to launch 3 new destinations to Baltics - Latest News".
- ^ "Swiss expands network for summer 2022".
- ^ "WIZZ – Dream more. Live more. Be more".
- ^ "WIZZ – Dream more. Live more. Be more".
- ^ "European Air Transport Leipzig". DHL. 23 November 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Flight Schedule". www.turkishcargo.com.tr. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
- ^ "VNO". www.ltou.lt. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
- ^ "Simonas Bartkus | Blog » Populiariausios kryptys 2018 m. – rekordiniais Vilniaus oro uosto metais". Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ Flightradar24. "Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Map". Flightradar24. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
- ^ a b "Vilnius International Airport - Train / Bus". vno.lt. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
- ^ "European Ground Handling". Airline Ground Services. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
External links
Media related to Vilnius International Airport at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website (in Lithuanian)
- Interview with CCO of Vilnius Airport
- Accident history for VNO at Aviation Safety Network