Last week Vilnius Airport gave a water salute to greet the aircraft of Germania on the occasion of the launch of regular flights on the route Vilnius-Zürich. Air service between Lithuania and Switzerland is re-launched after a pause of eight years.

“The growing number of new airlines and routes in Vilnius is a proof that we are an attractive European destination. The new Vilnius-Zürich flights are first of all targeted at inbound tourism; therefore, we hope that our local businessmen will be delighted to receive Swiss tourists. Of course, the new route is equally important for maintaining business relations between the two countries,” said Jūratė Baltrušaitytė, Commercial Director at Lithuanian Airports.

Flights will be operated on Mondays and Thursdays, providing an opportunity to spend a weekend in Switzerland. Prices of one-way tickets start from EUR 45. It is expected to service 8,000 passengers on this route by the end of the summer season.

“We are more than happy to open a new route to the capital of Lithuania. We were surprised about the diversity of things that Vilnius has to offer – from interesting history, architecture and parks to top class cuisine,” said Tobias Somandin, Germania CEO.

Germania is a German airline but flights to Lithuania will be operated by its Swiss subsidiary. To present Lithuania as an attractive tourist destination to its fellow countrymen, the airline, together with Lithuanian airports, the State Department of Tourism, tourist information centres of Vilnius, Trakai and Birštonas, organised an introductory visit for a group of Swiss travel agents, journalists and bloggers.

In order to launch flights to Lithuania, Germania took advantage of support from the route development fund founded by Lithuanian Airports and the Ministry of Transport and Communications. It is targeted at the launch of air service to the destinations important to Lithuania, which are anticipated with due regard to the country’s priority markets and directions. The airlines starting new routes or increasing the number of available flights are eligible for the support.