Vilnius Airport in Lithuania has begun constructing its 14,400m2 departure terminal, which is expected to be open for use in early 2025.
The new terminal will be built between the VIP terminal and conference center and the old passenger terminal. The total value of the contract is €41.5m (US$44.9m). The main purpose of the new departure terminal project is to double the airport’s throughput to 2,400 passengers per hour to improve the passenger experience and ensure greater efficiency in airport operations.
The building will have two floors, with a self-service check-in area on the ground floor, enabling passengers to check in their luggage at dedicated terminals. There will also be common public spaces, cafes and other commercial areas and airline offices, while the second floor will house the security screening areas as well as the departure and arrival gates for passengers from Schengen countries. The new building will have an A++ energy class and will be BREEAM-certified ‘Good’, demonstrating not only the innovative solutions used in the project, but also a sustainable approach to the construction process.
Alongside the construction of the new terminal, the transport access in front of Vilnius Airport will also be updated. The airport will renew its engineering infrastructure and surfaces and will install carports. According to Aurimas Stikliūnas, Interim CEO of Lithuanian Airports, the new terminal will lay the groundwork for correcting the mistakes of Vilnius Airport’s previous terminal expansions in the future – the previous terminals were expanded to the side of the airfield, not parallel to the entire airport area. The construction of this passenger terminal will be accompanied by the renovation and conversion of the old terminals, with expansion and modernization planned in phases.
Almantas Čebanauskas, the head of the main contractor of the project, said, “We appreciate the opportunity to implement projects of importance to Lithuania. We are confident that our experience in the construction of complex structures, including our project for the construction of the VIP terminal at Vilnius Airport, will contribute significantly to the successful completion of the construction of the new terminal.”
Stikliūnas commented, “We stand at the center of an important change for aviation in Lithuania. The opportunities to handle more aircrafts, and more passengers, are directly linked to our future prospects to become leaders in the region, which means moving to the next level of quality and competing for a wider geography of flights across the country. This entire project is a series of developments – not just a construction project, but also a platform for innovation in airports, where we will finally be able to apply state-of-the-art technology to improve airport efficiency and passenger comfort. This is undoubtedly the most important project for all Lithuanian airports in the next few years, to which we are dedicating a lot of our internal resources.”
Marius Skuodis, Minister of Transport and Communications in Lithuania, said, “The main Lithuanian airport must be convenient for passengers, meet international standards and perform its functions properly. The new terminal at Vilnius Airport will make a significant contribution to the development of the aviation sector, opening up new capacity opportunities. As passenger traffic at the airport grows, it is important to ensure comfortable service conditions that meet modern standards.”
