Vilnius International Airport will have a new departure terminal in early 2025. The administration of the airport has announced its plans for overhauling its facilities at a conference on January 31. The total investment value sums up to 41.5 million euros and will represent an increase in passenger handling capacity and the developing of the Lithuanian aviation industry.
About The New Departure Terminal
Plans for the terminal are big, as it is reported that the new building will measure 14,400 square metres in size. The main concern for the airport was handling a large number of passengers. Currently, the airport can handle up to 1200 travellers per hour, however, the new terminal will double this capacity, raising it to 2400 passengers per hour.
The new addition to the airport will also innovate around its surroundings. Plans include the overhaul of the transportation system linked to the airport and also adding new technology to the building in order to make it more efficient. The old terminals will also be renovated to ensure they have the same standards of tech and efficiency.
The new departure terminal will be located between the old and VIP terminates. According to the airport’s website, it will have two floors: the first floor will have a passenger check-in area with a self-service luggage drop-off area, while the second floor will have security checks and departure and arrival gates for the Schengen area. For more information, you can consult the following presentation. You can also see a video of the plans here.
History Of The Airport
Vilnius International Airport started operating in 1932, linking the city with Warsaw and Riga. It was used primarily as a military airport during the Second World War, resuming civilian services after 1944. Since then, it became Lithuania’s largest and most used airport, serving 5 million passengers in 2019.
It is currently a hub for airBaltic and used to be the home of Lithuania’s former flag carrier, Lithuanian Airlines, rebranded as FlyLAL. The newest addition to the airport was the terminal building which was opened in 2007 with the requirements of the Schengen agreement.
More interesting facts include the busiest routes from Vilnius (in 2018), which are the ones to London, Frankfurt, Oslo, Warsaw and Antalya. The most frequent routes from Vilnius in February 2023 are flying to Warsaw, with around 28 flights per week, Riga, with 22 flights and Helsinki, with 21 flights. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the airport converted its tarmac into a drive-in movie theatre.
What do you think about the construction of the new departure terminal? Let us know in the comments below!
