Air transport

State management of the civil aviation

The regulatory function of aviation in the Republic of Lithuania is carried out by the Ministry of Transport and Communications within the scope of its competence together with institutions performing the functions of national supervisory authorities Public Enterprise Transport Competence Agency and the Lithuanian Transport Safety Administration.

Four state-managed international airports operate in Lithuania. Vilnius, Palanga and Kaunas airports are civil airports. They render services to regular and charter flights for passengers and goods. Šiauliai airport is a military airport, but the flights of civil aircraft are also permitted. Šiauliai airport renders services to charter flights for passengers and goods. Air navigation services in the airspace of the Republic of Lithuania are rendered by the State Enterprise 'Oro navigacija'.

Air navigation services in the airspace over the territory and territorial waters of the Republic of Lithuania and in the airspace over the open Baltic Sea neutral waters are rendered by the State Enterprise ‘Oro navigacija’ (Air Navigation). Company governed by the International Air Transport Standards (ISAT), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the European Union legislation, the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol) documents and the Lithuanian aviation law. Lithuanian airspace in 2012 extended 39 transit routes. Lithuanian airspace exceeds 76,000 square kilometres. 

The State Enterprise Lithuanian airports

Vilnius International Airport.  The largest international airport in the country has a well developed infrastructure to attract airlines for transporting both passengers and cargo. The airport is located in the south of Vilnius. It is only 7 km or 15 minutes drive by car from the centre of the capital and 7 minutes by train from Vilnius train station. From Vilnius airport 15 airlines carries scheduled flights to 46 destinations. Other airline operates charter flights. Vilnius International Airport is striving to become a leading, advanced management of aviation businesses and attract different aviation business models of airlines and their passengers.

Area: 326 ha
Runway: length 2515 m, width 50 m.
Landing Category: II (CAT II)

Kaunas International Airport is located in the country center close to the main highways. Kaunas airport can receive aircrafts even with minimum visibility meteorological conditions. It has the longest runway in Lithuania which can be operated without any restrictions. Kaunas airport aims to create a complex of one-stop-shop services to facilitate sustainable long term growth of the airport together with increasing importance of Eastern European market in the world.

Area: 438 ha
Runway: length 3250 m, width 45 m.
Landing Category: II (CAT II)

Palanga International Airport    relates its future and prospects to the development of business and tourism of Klaipėda city and all the territory of Western Lithuania and South-Western Latvia, as well as to foreign investments. In August 2011 airport opened renovated passenger terminal. Airport infrastructure is adapted to the medium and small aircraft: BOEING - 737, SAAB-2000, SAAB-340, Dash Q400, CRJ 200, Jetstream-32, ATR-42, YK 42. Regular scheduled flights from Palanga Airport are operated by airlines airBaltic, Norwegian Air Shuttle, SAS, Ryanair and Wizz Air. 

Area: 161.3 ha
Runway: length 2280 m, width 45 m
Landing Category: I (CAT I)

Lithuania's membership of international civil aviation organizations:  

• 1992 The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
• 1992 The European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC)
• 2004 Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA)
• 2004 European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
• 2006 The European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol)

The State Enterprise Lithuanian Airports invites the interested air carriers intending to launch new routes at Lithuanian airports to submit applications for de minimis support.

de minimis aid to air carriers given in 2018:

de minimis aid to air carriers given in 2017: 

de minimis aid to air carriers given in 2016: 

de minimis aid to air carriers given in 2015: