Lithuanian Airports has commissioned NACO, Netherlands Airport Consultants to create a masterplan and feasibility study on development options for Vilnius Airport, Kaunas Airport and Palanga Airport in Lithuania for the coming decades.
Lithuanian Airports carried out an international public procurement procedure for the preparation of masterplans and feasibility studies. The long-term network development study will be part of an €824,000 (US$853,600) contract and is planned to be prepared by the end of 2023.
According to the company, this research will analyze the development opportunities and alternatives for the airports while focusing on the specific strengths of the individual airports, flight expansion and increasing the capacity of the passenger and cargo terminals. It will also include, among other components, an analysis of accessibility (ground connections to airports and their modernization), infrastructure (modernization of existing passenger and freight terminals) and the environmental situation. The document will also provide a financial forecast for the long-term development period, an overview of the impact of airports on the national economy, and plans for the use of the land plots owned by Lithuanian Airports.
Arnas Dūmanas, head of operations and infrastructure department at Lithuanian Airports, said, “Among many other important insights for our entire airport network, the expert study will analyze development and modernization alternatives for today’s Vilnius Airport arrivals terminal. The recommendations made by the consultants will help to decide on future actions related to the heritage sites. This is particularly important in the new context: we have a contractor for the new departures terminal, we are in the process of preparatory work, and the new facility, once operational, also implies the need for conversion of the other existing terminals. Therefore, when planning further development, we will have the opportunity to look at various scenarios on how to efficiently convert the existing infrastructure. Long-term development is our strategic goal, and we have consistently pursued it, even during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now we have a lot of work ahead of us to work with consultants to find the optimal long-term development solutions, helping experts to understand our specificities, which are present in every airport.”