The organization uniting investors in Lithuania’s economy, Investors’ Forum, critically assesses the decision to discontinue direct flights between Vilnius and London City Airport from the end of March 2026. In the association’s view, such a decision weakens Lithuania’s international competitiveness and does not align with the ambition to strengthen the country’s position as a destination for high value-added investment.

Direct connectivity with London City is a strategic link to one of Europe’s most important financial and business centers. Its cancellation is particularly unfavorable at a time when Lithuania is facing a pronounced slowdown in foreign direct investment and is competing fiercely with other countries in the region for every high-value investment project.

“When over the past three years the number of new investors building factories in Lithuania has approached zero, discontinuing a route that is needed by executives and investors in technology and financial companies is yet another serious blow to Lithuania’s investment attractiveness,” emphasizes Investors’ Forum Board Chairman Rolandas Valiūnas.

The head of the business organization uniting leading, actively investing companies with strong reputations in their respective fields notes that the absolute majority of European Union capitals have direct flights to London’s main airports – City, Heathrow, or Gatwick – with the only exception being Bratislava, located just 55 km from Vienna Airport.

“The argument that flights to London City accounted for only 4.4 percent of all travel to London is short-sighted. This is not about mass flows, but about investors, company executives, and professionals in the financial and technology sectors, for whom fast, convenient, and direct accessibility is important,” says R. Valiūnas.

Investors’ Forum acknowledges that Lithuania’s overall air connectivity has improved in recent years, and that the results achieved by Lithuanian Airports demonstrate focused and consistent work. The association points out that in the first half of 2025, Lithuanian airports served nearly 9 percent more passengers than in the same period last year. The Lithuanian airport network also maintains leadership in the Baltic States, handling more than 40 percent of all passengers in the region, and according to data from the Airports Council International (“ACI Europe”), Lithuania improved its indirect connectivity indicators by as much as 20 percent year-on-year, ranking third in Europe by this growth.

“We see many positive steps – growing passenger flows, new routes to European capitals, strengthening regional airports, and a significant breakthrough in indirect connectivity. This shows that Lithuanian Airports are capable of competing in the region and adapting to a changing market. Nevertheless, changes in air connectivity must be aligned with the goal of preserving strategic routes that are critically important for business and investors,” says Vytautas Šilinskas, Executive Director of the Investors’ Forum association.

The association’s vision is that by 2030 Lithuania must become the most attractive investment destination in Europe. According to V. Šilinskas, this cannot be achieved solely through growing passenger numbers or leisure destinations; the state must seek ways to ensure direct connectivity with the world’s main business centers, as this is how the image of a reliable and business-friendly country is built, decisions are made, and investments are attracted.