Lithuanian Airports Set March Passenger Record and Expand Summer Flights
Lithuanian Airports (LTOU) recorded a new monthly high in March 2026, processing more than 542,000 passengers. This represents a 6.7% increase compared to the same period last year, with growth observed across the group’s three facilities in Vilnius, Kaunas, and Palanga.
Vilnius Airport led the expansion among the three sites, reporting a 7.8% rise in passenger traffic to exceed 377,000 travelers. According to LTOU, these record figures were achieved despite disruptions affecting various routes in the Middle East.
Summer 2026 Network Expansion
The airport group is now preparing for the summer 2026 aviation season, which will offer 100 destinations and increased flight frequencies. As part of this expansion, airBaltic is scheduled to increase frequencies on key routes from Lithuania and launch new services from Vilnius to Chisinau and Zurich.
This current growth follows a trajectory established in 2024, when LTOU handled a record 6.6 million passengers. That figure marked a nearly 10% increase over 2023 and surpassed the pre-pandemic levels recorded in 2019. The group’s network diversification has been supported by several carriers, including Aegean Airlines’ seasonal service to Athens and PLAY’s seasonal route to Reykjavik from Vilnius. In Kaunas, Ryanair expanded its footprint by basing a third aircraft and introducing routes to Zadar, Pisa, and Berlin, while airBaltic introduced a route to Amsterdam from Palanga.
Infrastructure Development and Capacity
LTOU has integrated these passenger increases with a long-term infrastructure strategy designed to enhance operational capacity. A new departures terminal at Vilnius Airport, which was announced in September 2024, opened in February 2025 to double the facility’s capacity.
Similar upgrades are underway at Kaunas Airport, where terminal improvements are scheduled for completion by late 2025. Once finished, these upgrades will double the airport’s capacity to 2 million passengers and allow for the simultaneous handling of six aircraft, supporting up to 15,000 aircraft movements annually.
As part of its broader operational strategy extending through 2028, Lithuanian Airports plans to develop an arrivals terminal at Vilnius Airport.