Lithuanian Airlines

Lithuanian Airlines has a unique history. It used to be a regional branch of Aeroflot, with the right to operate flights only to the republics of the Soviet Union. Until 1990, Aeroflot was a paramilitary organisation fully managed from Moscow. The strategic airports of Vilnius, Kaunas, Siauliai and Palanga served flights only to Russian cities, or else were used primarily for military purposes, with only a small part of the available technical potential used for civil aviation.

With the re-establishment of Lithuanian independence in 1990, all natural resources and industries became the property of the Republic of Lithuania. This unavoidably caused many problems, and the 59 aircraft registered at Vilnius Airport became the subject of a heated political debate. The enemies of Lithuanian independence had worked out a plan by which all aircraft at Vilnius Airport were to take off for the Soviet Union, never to return, but it was foiled by Lithuanian pilots. A state-owned company was established by the Ministry of Transport in 1991.

The board realised that western aircraft were needed to facilitate integration into western markets. After assessing offers from the world’s three aircraft manufacturers, Lithuanian airlines chose the most commercially successful aircraft - the 105-seat Boeing 737-200ADV - to replace some of its aircraft. In December 1991, a Boeing from the Irish company GPA landed at Vilnius Airport on a five-year lease.

The expansion of civil aviation to the West meant meeting a lot of new demands. The company had experienced pilot, mechanics and flight attendants, but lacked experts in the fields of marketing and law. At the suggestion of GPA, Lithuanian Airlines enlisted the services of Air Consult. Greta Geoghegan, a world class air hostess instructor once in the service of the British royal family, was among them. A number of the company’s specialists were trained in Germany, Denmark, Great Britain, Ireland and Switzerland.

A significant step was taken on 8 March 1993, when Lithuanian Airlines joined IATA. This secured the company international recognition and the right to sell tickets for other airlines. It also fulfils IATA standards on flight safety.

Since 1992, AERO-CHEF-LAL, a Danish-Lithuanian joint venture, has supplied the airline with one-board meals. In 1993, it implemented a cargo programme.

Late in 1992, Mr Stasys Dailydka became General Manager of Lithuanian Airlines. Under him, a new programme presenting the company as a regional European airline has been worked out and implemented, and its flight schedule has been stabilised.

In 1995, Lithuanian Airlines purchased two Boeing 737-200’s. The fleet currently consists of 3 Boeing 737-200ADV’s, 1 SAAB 340B, 11 YAK-42D’s and 1 Lockheed Jetstar 731.

Lithuanian Airlines runs its own travel agency, Aviaturas.

On 9 May 1997, Mr Stasys Jarmalavicius was appointed as General Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Lithuanian Airlines.