newstodate.aero

Sep 25, 2023 (newstodate): Close to deadline, Lithuanian Airports has now secured the sustained traffic on the key route connecting Vilnius Airport and London City Airport.
   A tender was opened for airlines to apply for operating the route with a deadline by June 9, 2023 - and following negotiations between Lithuania's  Ministry of Transport and Communications, Lithuanian Airports and the airlines, Lithuanian Airports has landed an investment agreement with LOT Polish Airlines that is already operating the route under the earlier agreement expiring by September 30, 2023.
   The contract will be implemented under a new route development model to ensure the continuity of flights to the strategically important financial hub of London that has been served for the last few years.
   The route is today operated six times per week by the Polish carrier with Embraer 190 aircraft leased from Nordic Aviation Capital - one of the few aircraft types to meet the strict operating requirements of London City Airport's short runway.
   Following a tender process, the route was first launched on May 1, 2019, stalled during the corona pandemic, and reopened again from August 31, 2020.
   It was the first route operating under a unique EU-approved PSO contract where the actual state aid is contingent on number of bookings - more seats sold, less state aid, and when bookings exceed 92 percent of available seats, state aid will be zero.