Lithuanian Airports (LTOU) has completed the construction of the new departures terminal at Vilnius Airport and unveiled its latest operational strategy, which will operate through 2028.
New Departures Terminal
The last remaining phase, until the end of January 2025, will be dedicated to the deployment of the remaining technologies, physical equipment and the testing of the entire terminal (ORAT). The terminal will open in February 2025, once the airport has installed and tested the equipment inside.
Simonas Bartkus, CEO at Lithuanian Airports, commented, “We completed the construction work a few weeks ahead of schedule. Perhaps the most important goal for the coming period is to prepare all the new systems for the loads that the new terminal will face under realistic operating conditions, testing all the technologies both individually and as part of the overall system, so that we can be ready to put the new departure terminal into operation in early February 2024.”
According to Bartkus, once the departures terminal is open to passengers, attention will switch to the next stage of Vilnius Airport‘s conversion. This will include the replanning and modification of the old terminal areas, which will enable a significant expansion of commercial activities and provide passengers with access to a wider range of services.
“We plan to start the conversion of the existing terminals around mid-2025. As the entire departure function will have already been transferred from the old terminal to the new terminal, we will continue the changes at the airport, which will be aimed at growing our capacity to provide more space for commercial services and to offer more convenience to passengers.”
The airport has stated that the conversion of the old terminals will last until the end of 2026. In parallel, the planning and construction of the new arrivals terminal will be carried out, which is expected to be operational by the end of 2028.
LTOU operational strategy
The new LTOU operational strategy is based on two key objectives: promoting the development of sustainable partnerships and the contribution of the airport ecosystem to the Lithuanian economy.
Bartkus said, “For our aviation, commercial and institutional partners, we aim to create an environment that enables consistent, sustainable growth. Much of the change we seek over the four-year period will be related to the planned expansion of airport infrastructure. We want these investments to have a direct impact on both improving the passenger experience and the overall ability to serve more passengers and providing a platform for businesses to expand their operations at our three international airports. In the coming years, we will see that the airport space is changing dramatically, and in this process our focus will be on the highest quality bar, which we want to achieve together with our partners.”
The airport operator also plans to improve the quality of air transportation, refine a balanced business model, improve passenger experience, manage potential business risks and ensure sustainability in operations.
Over the next few years, LTOU will reportedly be focused on digital transformation, which will encompass the passenger experience, more efficient management of the organization, and many other processes that almost all passengers at the airport come into contact with.
Bartkus continued, “A significant proportion of processes at airports are already increasingly digitalized and automated, and this proportion will only increase in the coming period. From the automation of baggage systems, self-service options and flow management to aviation security screening or the ordering and management of ancillary services, we are planning major changes in many areas that will allow us to accumulate new competencies, which is why we see this ambition as one of the important connecting denominators.”
In related news, Lithuanian Airports recently launched an international lease tender to select a duty-free shop operator for Vilnius and Kaunas airports. The selected partner is expected to start operations at Vilnius and Kaunas airports in 2025. Applications are expected by the second half of September. Click here to read the full story.