Air Lituanica stops operations - airBaltic takes over

[sn26567]

Lithuanian carrier Air Lituanica is to close operations from midday this 22 May 2015; the last flights are leaving Amsterdam Schiphol to Vilnius and Paris to Tallinn this morning.

The flights due today to/from Prague, Brussels, Berlin and Stockholm are cancelled.

The Latvian airline airBaltic should take over some flights during one week.

[Passenger]

https://www.airlituanica.com/en/flight- ... tions.html

Because it's possible that this web page could go offline, I copy/pasted it:

When does the airline stop operations?

Airline Air Lituanica ceases its operations from mid-day of May 22, Friday. Airline management, acting responsibly and seeing risk not to fulfill commitments for the passengers, are stopping all regular flights and will put all the efforts so that the travelers would be affected as less as possible.

The solution for some passengers is already found. Air Lituanica has agreed with Air Baltic - Latvian airline and passengers’ carriage is guaranteed within the next 8 days. For the rest of the flights will still be discussed.

Which flights will be operated on May 22?

Air Lituanica will operate flights from/to Amsterdam, Paris and Tallinn on May 22.

Air Lituanica, seeking to reduce inconvenience for the passengers and taking into account the financial resources, agreed with Air Baltic that all passengers having Air Lituanica tickets for cancelled flights between May 22 and May 29 will be rebooked on Air Baltic flights to their origin destinations .

On May 22 flights to Berlin, Prague, Brussels and Stockholm will be operated by Air Baltic.

How will be carrying passengers from May 23 to 29?

Due to the agreement with Air Baltic, Air Lituanica or Air Baltic Customer Care Center will send new tickets for the passengers travelling between May 22 and May 29 with new flight details. If new routing and flight schedules will not be acceptable, passengers will be able to reject the travel and request for refund from “Air Lituanica”.

Air Lituanica”made immediate payment for Air Baltic for the flights for the next 8 days, so all the passengers have guaranteed flights with “Air Baltic”. Next 8 days “Air Baltic” will accept “Air Lituanica” passengers on BT flights from and to Amsterdam, Brussels, Prague, Munich, Paris, Billund, Stockholm, Vilnius and Tallinn.

What should do passengers who have tickets for the flights from May 30?

Next few days Air Lituanica will continue talks with Air Baltic and will look for possibilities to carriage passengers travelling after May 29. If there will be no agreement all passengers are entitled for full refunds and guarantees by European law and Montreal convention. JSC “Start Vilnius” has guarantee issued for passenger compensation.

Passengers, having air tickets for the cancelled flights should contact ticket sales agency. If passengers purchased the ticket from the travel agency, they should contact them. If tickets have been purchased on “Air Lituanica” website, they should fill refund form on “Air Lituanica” website or send claim by email fly@airlituanica.com. Passengers whose tickets were paid by credit card with purchases insurance, can claim the bank for a refund.

To whom should passenger apply if he has interline tickets in connection with other carrier?

Passengers should contact ticket sales agency where the ticket was purchases. If ticket is issued on other carrier stock, all responsibility for reissue/refunds should be taken by validating carrier.

Do passengers have possibility to ask to get money back now due to no regarding for the agreement with Air Baltic?

No matter when the date of the flight is, all Air Lituanica passengers may ask for the refund.

Passengers should contact ticket sales agency. If passengers purchased the ticket from the travel agency, they should contact them. If tickets have been purchased on “Air Lituanica” website, they should fill refund form on “Air Lituanica” website or send claim by email fly@airlituanica.com. Passengers whose tickets were paid by credit card with purchases insurance, can claim the bank for a refund.

[Bralo20]

Currently Air Baltic is operating the "rescue flights" but Air Baltic will take over all Air Lituanica's operations in the future, Vilnius-Riga & Vilnius-Amsterdam will be continued by Air Baltic while Air Lituanica's other routes (including Brussels) will recommence in September (September 3 to be precise for the Brussels route):

http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/transport/?doc=106537



Well, it's has to be said: it's pretty good organized for an airline that stops operating. Most of the times we see an announcement and the passengers are left stranded but this this it seems they are taking care of their passengers.

[LJ]

Air Lituanica has ceased operations as of today and Air Baltic will commence Vilnius - Brussels with immediate effect.

[sn26567]

Air Baltic will commence Vilnius - Brussels with immediate effect.

With which planes? The former Lituanica ones?

[LJ]

Air Baltic will commence Vilnius - Brussels with immediate effect.

With which planes? The former Lituanica ones?

Unknown, This was reported by Luchtvaartnieuws in Dutch ( http://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/nieuws/c ... jdagmiddag . I checked a the Air Baltic website, and nothing there about a new route. Either the reporter mixed something up or they're really going to fly to BRU from Vilnius themselves.

[RoMax]

These are not reall scheduled airBaltic flights, these are Air Lituanica but operated by airBaltic. It's just a contract with them for an 8-day period in which airBaltic takes over the flights. Unless airBaltic decides to launch these routes, this is nothing long-term. Could perfectly be that e.g. on the BRU-VNO route SN remains the only operator, as well as it is possible that both airBaltic and SN will operate.

[Boeing767copilot]

airBaltic to replace Air Lituanica flying

Riga. The Latvian airline airBaltic will replace Air Lituanica flights and rescue the stranded passengers, affected by today’s suspension of operations of the Lithuanian carrier.
Martin Gauss, Chief Executive Officer: “Our home market for airBaltic is Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. We will consolidate and strengthen our service in our home market by offering more direct flights. We announce the first direct routes out of Vilnius to Western and Northern Europe today and will evaluate additional ones gradually. We will rescue the stranded passengers in the first days following the suspension of flights, and will offer special rescue fares for customers booked for flights later in the summer.
Furthermore, today’s event in Vilnius is a strong signal that the three Baltic countries should take a common approach to their aviation, to best support travellers, new economic activity, and new jobs.”

Route Flight frequency Start date Price *, Economy Price*,

Vilnius – Brussels 4 flights weekly 3.09. 2015 79 EUR 499 EUR
Vilnius – Berlin 4 flights weekly 3.09. 2015 69 EUR 399 EUR
Vilnius – Paris 3 flights weekly 2.09. 2015 69 EUR 499 EUR
Vilnius – Stockholm Up to 2 daily 3.09. 2015 59 EUR 349 EUR
Vilnius – Warsaw 7flights weekly 3.09. 2015 59 EUR 349 EUR
Vilnius – Helsinki 7 flights weekly 3.09. 2015 59 EUR 349 EUR
Vilnius – Amsterdam Up to 7 weekly Currently operated 59 EUR 399 EUR
Vilnius – Riga Up to 5 daily Currently operated 29 EUR 349 EUR
* Lowest fare, including taxes, fees and service charges, on www.airBaltic.com, subject to availability

airBaltic is the first airline to rescue Air Lituanica passengers. The affected passengers are required to contact Air Lituanica staff or their travel agent for assistance. With immediate effect, airBaltic will offer all passengers holding Air Lituanica tickets for travel on and after June 6, 2015 special 59-89EUR one-way fares that can be booked via airBaltic call centre.

airBaltic also announces the immediate opening of new direct routes from Vilnius to Brussels, Berlin, Paris, Stockholm, Warsaw, Helsinki, available on www.airBaltic.com shortly, in addition to the existing Vilnius – Amsterdam, and Vilnius – Riga routes.

airBaltic serves over 60 destinations from its home base in Riga, Latvia. From every one of these locations, airBaltic offers convenient connections via North Hub Riga to its network spanning Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, CIS and the Middle East. In addition, airBaltic also offers new direct flights from Tallinn, Vilnius and the Baltic seaside resort of Heringsdorf.

[sn26567]

Wizz Air launches 2 new routes from Vilnius and rescue fares on other routes for passengers stranded by tye Air Lituanica demise.

https://www.aviation24.be/airlines_press_r ... assengers/

[airazurxtror]

Lithuania does not necessarily need a flagship airline, President Dalia Grybauskaitė has said in comments about the recent collapse of Air Lituanica, an airline founded by the city of Vilnius.

“Lithuania made two attempts to create a flagship carrier but wasn’t too successful. Those efforts always ended with debts and resale of assets to various interest groups. Unfortunately, that experience wasn’t successful. We have missed the right time to enter the international aviation market and nobody has come up with a model which would at least help avoid losses, let alone get some profit. Hence I don’t think that the government or the state should be forced into loss-making business for the third time since the costs of that will have to be borne by all Lithuanian people,” she told reporters in Vilnius on Tuesday.

http://en.delfi.lt/lithuania/economy/pr ... z3bFjxEFbt

Just common sense. Other countries could do the same reasoning.