OREANDA-NEWS. March 24, 2010. This week the Lithuanian low-cost carrier Star1 Airlines launches a new route between Vilnius and Edinburgh. Regular flights will start on 28 March and will be conducted twice a week.

According to the head of the company Martynas Laivys, constantly evolving position in the market results in the increased number of destinations offered by the company; and the need for additional route to the UK has been felt for a while already.

”This is a completely new route from Vilnius and from Lithuania, in general. Our decision to connect to the Scottish capital city was prompted by an abundant community of students and employees from Lithuania, to whom we will offer this convenient connection. We also believe that Edinburgh will attract tourists from Lithuania and contribute to new tourist flows to Vilnius”, says the head of Star1 Airlines.

The load of first flights is encouraging – 65-70% of tickets are already sold.  

Direct connection between Lithuania and Scotland is also important for the Lithuanian community in the United Kingdom. Lithuanian Ambassador Oskaras Jusys said: “Various Scottish universities have big groups of students from Lithuania. We believe that Aberdeen University alone last autumn accepted more than one hundred graduates from Lithuania. In addition to students, thousands of Lithuanian citizens are employed in various industries in Scotland. Thus, no doubt the new route will facilitate the accessibility to the homeland of all these people.”

Star1 Airlines starts flights to Edinburgh from 28 March on Thursdays and Sundays and from 7 May – on Fridays and Sundays. Ticket fares to the Scottish capital city including all taxes will start from just 99 litas. A flight from Vilnius to Edinburgh will take about 2 hours and 45 minutes.