Lithuania has not received a new offer from Latvia to invest in its financially struggling airline “Air Baltic“, says Transport Minister Juras Taminskas. According to him, if such a proposal were made, he would not support it because it would be an emotional act. 

“In my opinion, money should be put where it creates added value for taxpayers: defense, road infrastructure, salaries, educational institutions, hospitals and other objects. And not to buy emotions, in this case, Air Baltic, and have an emotion that will require more and more, and more, and more funds every day,” J. Taminskas said in an interview with BNS.

According to him, Air Baltic’s financial situation is “a matter of the year” that must be resolved by the Latvian government without the interference of other states.

Last week, it was announced that Air Baltic will not fly from Vilnius to Berlin and Dubai, from Palanga to Tenerife, and will also reduce their volume between Vilnius and Tallinn in the upcoming winter season.

The minister emphasized that this is a common practice among airlines: “Not a single Air Baltic changes its schedule for the winter or summer season.”

J. Taminskas also states that as Lithuania approaches its presidency of the European Union, air connections with Europe are good – Brussels is reachable by direct flights, Vilnius has good connections with other major airports on the continent, the so-called hubs.

– Air Baltic has millions in debt, plans to reduce the number of its aircraft, will not fly to Berlin or Dubai from Vilnius during the winter season, will fly less frequently to Tallinn, and will not fly between Palanga and Tenerife either. Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius emphasized that there must be enough flights as the presidency of the European Union approaches, and he is going to Latvia to talk to the Prime Minister about this, and will meet with you before that. What will you tell him, what actions are possible?

– The financial situation of Air Baltic is not new and did not arise yesterday, the day before yesterday, or a month ago. Their financial capabilities have been an issue for years, periodically emerging into the public sphere. There must probably come a point when both the company itself and the Latvian government must review the company’s own business model. But this is their field of activity and certainly not the interference of Lithuania, Estonia, Poland or other states.

Air Baltic is an important partner and one of the three main carriers afterRyanair“And”Wizz Air” – almost 12,6 percent of passengers transported from last year (in all in Lithuanian airports total transported – BNS) – about 7 million. That direction was discontinued, but a new one is being opened from Switzerland for the ski season. This is an absolutely normal process, not one Air Baltic changes its schedule for the winter or summer season. This is normal airline practice. This is not nonsensethat the schedule is being adjusted. It’s just the desire of political opponents to mix facts with politics, to show that something big happened here. Nothing happened, normal airline practice, normal business organization taking into account market needs.

Regarding Lithuania’s accessibility for the presidency – there is a connection with Brussels: Brussels Airlines flies four times a day, there are 20 connecting flights to Brussels from Vilnius with all other airlines. This is not just an Air Baltic topic, which is dedicated to the presidency. Therefore, there is no need to mix political emotions with facts.

Come the summer of 2027, schedules will be adjusted accordingly again. For example, Air Baltic will not fly to Dubai, but FlyDubai will fly three times a week. Successfully, reliably, as much as necessary.

– The Prime Minister could not answer whether Lithuania would consider acquiring shares in Air Baltic and whether it had received another such offer, Latvija and has previously offered. Perhaps you can answer whether that offer was received? What is your position on the purchase of shares?

– We have not received an offer for the acquisition. There was an offer before, when Gintautas Paluckas was prime minister, but there is none at the moment.

I am guided by the principle that taxpayers’ money must be spent properly, rationally and to create the greatest possible added value for taxpayers. The budget is tight, funds are needed for everything – from national defense to salaries of doctors, teachers, officials, reconstruction of road infrastructure – I can list this list endlessly. And there is a lack of funds for everything. The question is very simple: where do we spend and invest money: where it is necessary to invest it at the moment according to priorities, or for something that would create emotion for us?

In my opinion, money should be put where it creates added value for taxpayers: defense, road infrastructure, salaries, educational institutions, hospitals and other objects. And not to buy emotions, in this case – to buy shares in Air Baltic (BNS) and have an emotion that will require more and more, and more, and more funds every day. This is my opinion and I stand by it.

– If I understand you correctly, under no circumstances would Air Baltic’s financial situation deteriorate further and the Latvian state seek assistance, would that not be considered?

– Such a decision must be made by the Government collegially, but my opinion, as the Minister of Transport, is not to waste taxpayers’ money and not to buy emotions, but to invest those funds where there is a direct return and need today.

– What will be the preparations by the beginning of 2027, when Lithuania takes over the presidency of the EU Council, in terms of flights? You mentioned that there is a plan being prepared if Air Baltic were to reduce the volume of flights, but you mentioned alternatives. So, please clarify what else needs to be prepared?

– There is no need to lump two different things together. Air Baltic’s financial situation, changing the schedule as the season changes, is a natural practice every year and other airlines do the same, and the Lithuanian presidency does not rely solely on Air Baltic. These are different topics.

For the presidency, we assess what flights we have today, what the need for passenger traffic may be during the presidency. Ministers of European countries do not fly from Brussels to Vilnius, just as – when the presidency is held in another country – they fly from Vilnius not to Brussels, but to the capital of that country. Therefore, it is very important for us to ensure connectivity with major airports – hubs, where passengers could also transfer. So that ministers could fly in and our delegations could fly out.

Therefore, we have two directions: both Vilnius–Brussels, and respectively Vilnius, Kaunas and hubs major airports. For example, with Brussels alone, we currently have four direct flights per week and 20 connecting flights per day.

It would be possible to fly to Brussels from Vilnius with a transfer of up to two hours, for example, on Tuesday, Wednesday, Sunday via Warsaw with LOT, on Friday and Sunday via Copenhagen with SAS. With a transfer of up to four hours, Brussels can be reached daily via Warsaw, Copenhagen, Riga, Vienna, Tallinn, and so on.

That level of connectivity is really high, and the situation since 2012, 2013, when Lithuania really did not have such connectivity with Brussels or other European countries, is different. hubs, as it is today, has fundamentally changed. In 2013, when Lithuania held the presidency, 65,6 thousand passengers flew to Brussels on flights, in 2025, when there is no presidency, 55,5 thousand passengers flew to Brussels. Even without the presidency, we have almost the same number as during the peak with the presidency.

This transfer only takes a few hours and you will successfully reach your destination.

– But it probably has little prestige for the presiding country when politicians, diplomats, and other guests who come to Vilnius, to Lithuania, have to travel with a transfer.

– Here again there are two different topics that are being tried to be lumped into one topic. They say that it is not very prestigious to fly in with a transfer… Do we have to ensure direct flights with all the capitals of the European Union during the presidency, because politicians and diplomats do not only fly from Brussels? Ministers fly from their countries, from their capitals. And just as they fly now, they will fly in the same way. Just as the European and Lithuanian parliamentarians fly via Warsaw with a transfer. Does it change anything that they will fly in with a transfer via Warsaw? Is it not prestigious to fly in Warsaw here? Do we have to have a transfer in Warsaw during the presidency? nonstop flights, direct several times a day because the presidency is with Brussels and something changes from that? Let’s also separate the taxpayers’ funds. How much more do we have to invest then to show prestige?

Our goal is diplomatic relations, to conduct the presidency properly, or is our goal to show off? I think our goal is not to show off, because after the presidency ends, those flights will no longer be available. The goal is to always have the best possible connection with Lithuania. And not just to make it so that when Lithuania holds the presidency for one half-year, good connection is established, and as soon as the presidency ends, the next day you have to travel to Lithuania for 24 hours or more.

During the Irish presidency, direct flights from Brussels have even decreased, less than during the non-presidency. We are struck by the desire of some politicians and other personalities to show off, to put on some kind of show, to appear, and to pay for that performance with all taxpayers’ money.

Today we have excellent connections to the capitals, hubs – Frankfurt, Warsaw, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Vienna, Amsterdam, Stockholm – all major hubs.

– About those hub – what other capitals should be secured?

– We always want to have as many as possible, to have as short a flight as possible, as short a transfer time as possible, and as convenient as possible. That is what we are working on every day, to make accessibility to Lithuania as good as possible. However, today, compared to the period 10 years ago, 13 years ago, the situation in Lithuania is completely different, Lithuania’s accessibility has essentially changed for the better, even incomparable to what it was before.

– Thank you for conversation.  

Author Lukas Juozapaitis

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