Direct flights from Vilnius to Dubai are scheduled for autumn - so far, they are only planned for one winter season. Travel experts say that they have no doubt that this direction will be popular, so it is necessary to ensure that the flights take place for at least a few years, during which time Latvia's "Air Baltic” claims that it will depend on the success of the first season.
On Thursday, it was announced that Air Baltic will be granted the status of designated air carrier for these flights. The company plans to start them in November and will fly them twice a week until the end of March next year.
"This is the direction of the winter season, agreed upon for this winter season," Marius Zelenius, head of the Communications Department of Lithuanian Airports, told BNS.
According to him, this direction will be relevant for both business and travelers going on vacation.
"This direction is also relevant for business, but, of course, business will not be able to fully load the plane, so in any case, it is several audiences that are targeted, mixed in this case, both business and leisure travelers," he said.
Air Baltic representative August Zilbert said that it is still too early to say whether the route could continue for more than one winter season.
"Currently, it would be too early to talk about such a possibility, because flights on a specific route between Vilnius and Dubai will only start in the late autumn of 2023. Air Baltic's route management specialists closely monitor market trends and passenger flows and demand. (…) If the route is constantly in demand and popular, there is an opportunity to consider extending it," he said in a comment to BNS.
Tourism representatives: high hopes for this direction
Žydrė Gavelienė, president of the National Tourism Business Association and the Lithuanian Chamber of Tourism, told BNS that direct flights to Dubai are necessary for both vacationers and businessmen. According to her, it is necessary to ensure that the direction is not interrupted after the first season.
"There are high hopes for this flight, it's just a fact, it should be ensured that the flight is not carried out for one season, but for two or three years, so that the product and all other things can be developed," Ž told BNS. Gaveliene
According to her, we should also work with the flow of travelers from the United Arab Emirates in order to attract them to Lithuania.
"That time is not much, it is necessary to accumulate opportunities and forces so that Lithuanian exports can also live on it," she said.
Ž. Gavelienė said that flights to Dubai could become a link through which other Asian countries could be reached more cheaply.
"Of course (it can reduce prices - BNS). The more connections we have, whether through Istanbul, Dubai, other directions, the more the user wins. The greater the competition, the better it is for the consumer and the greater the choice. Riga already had that direction last winter, some Lithuanians traveled through Riga, (…) now the journey will be shorter, it will only be more convenient for the traveler, competitiveness will be higher", she said.
Ž. Gavelienė has no doubts that the planes will be full, according to her, chartered travel organizers will be less successful from this direction, as these flights have been particularly popular during the winter until now.
"The traffic may be redistributed, some to charter, some to regular, but it has always been difficult to get seats to Dubai a month or a half in advance, so with filling everything will be very good," she said.
Investors: New opportunities are valuable
Rūta Skyrienė, executive director of the association "Investors' Forum", admits that Dubai is not the main destination for investors, but new opportunities, according to her, are always valuable.
"Any breakthrough into new territory is good for any investment environment. This is not the main direction that investors need right now. I cannot say that it is not needed, I think that interest from Arab countries can be valuable and probably already exists, because that flight would not be opened", R. Skyrienė told BNS.
She also noted that flights to Dubai will be important as connecting flights to Asian countries more easily. Currently, two flights per week are planned, but R. Skyrienė said she hopes that there will be more in the future.
"We have always spoken about the necessity of flights and specifically the convenience of business flights, because the fact that you can take off at five in the morning does not mean that the flight is convenient for business," she said.
According to R. Skyrienė, business currently needs more convenient connections with German cities, London, Paris.
The author is Erika Alonderytė-Kazlauskė
