OREANDA-NEWS. The number of passengers at Lithuanian airports increased by 16.5% during the first month of this year, compared to the same calendar period last year. Kaunas Airport served as much as 29% more passengers, while Vilnius Airport and Palanga Airport had 15% and 0.2% more passengers, respectively.

“The beginning of this year is really record-breaking for us – the number of passengers at all the three airports has significantly exceeded the lasts years result. A look at the number of passengers at Kaunas Airport, which increased almost by one third, alone suggests that the Lithuanian civil aviation is showing spectacular results,” says Gediminas Almantas, CEO of SE Lithuanian Airports.

All the three Lithuanian airports served record-high numbers of passengers in the last month: this January Vilnius Airport served 203,500 people, Kaunas Airport over 44,000 and Palanga Airport more than 9,000.

According to Mr Almantas, such an increase in the number of passengers shows strengthening of the national economy as well as increased mobility of people. With these numbers of passengers, the airports are playing a growing role in the Lithuanian economic growth.

This January, the Lithuanian airports operated 5.7% more flights. Vilnius Airport has launched a new route to Bromma airport at the centre of Stockholm.

In 2014, SE Vilnius International Airport, SE Kaunas Airport and SE Palanga International Airport were reorganised by merger. As of 1 July 2014, one state enterprise Lithuanian Airports has been operating and controlling three national airports.