Check compensationCheck

Flights to Lithuania: delays, cancellations and your rights

By passengers on routes within Europe in Eurostat’s 2024 data, Lithuania’s busiest airports were Vilnius, Kaunas and Palanga (on the Baltic coast); Latvia’s airBaltic uses Vilnius as a secondary hub. EU261 covers every departure from Lithuania, whatever the airline, and flights to Lithuania from outside the EU, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland when an airline licensed in one of those countries operates them.

By the EU261 Flight Delay editorial team Last reviewed: How we write our guides

Check compensation or start a claim with AirHelp straight away

In short: Flying to Lithuania from elsewhere in Europe, a delay of 3 hours or more is worth €250–€400 per passenger on typical routes (EU261, any airline); from the UK £350 under UK261. On the way home, EU261 covers every flight leaving Lithuania.

Your rights each way

DirectionRulesCovered airlines3h+ delay / late cancellation
Another EU/EEA country or Switzerland → LithuaniaEU261any airline€250–€400
Lithuania → another EU/EEA country or SwitzerlandEU261any airline€250–€400
UK → LithuaniaUK261any airline£350
Lithuania → UKEU261any airline€400
Outside Europe → LithuaniaEU261only an EU airlineby distance, up to €600

Amounts are per passenger and depend on the great-circle distance between your airports – the ranges cover the busiest routes. Whatever the cause, from 2 hours’ delay the airline must provide meals and drinks, and a hotel if you are stuck overnight – where EU261 or UK261 applies. Living in Lithuania or flying from there? See how to claim in Lithuania.

Check your flight to or from Lithuania

Two minutes, free, no sign-up.

What happened?Step 1 of 4

What happened to your flight?
Where did you fly from and to?

With a connection, enter your first departure and your final destination – compensation is based on the total distance.

How late did you arrive at your final destination?

What counts is when the aircraft doors opened at your destination – not the departure delay.

When were you told about the cancellation?
When did you arrive on the replacement flight?
Which airline operated the flight?
When was the flight?

How many passengers were on the booking?

1 passenger

Every passenger gets their own compensation, children too. Infants under 2 without their own seat do not count.

  • Free, no sign-up
  • Fee only if successful (35%)
  • AirHelp: Trustpilot 4.5/5

Rather skip the questions? Start a claim with AirHelp straight away

Airports in Lithuania

AirportPassengers 2024*ATFM delay per arrival 2025Main cause
Vilnius (VNO)4,318,4480.02 minother (88%)
Kaunas (KUN)1,242,6860.01 minother (83%)
Palanga (PLQ)362,7330.00 min–

* Passengers on routes reported to Eurostat (both directions).

Routes from the UK to Lithuania

From the UK: in the CAA’s 2025 data the busiest Lithuanian destination from UK airports was Kaunas, followed by Vilnius and Palanga. Flights departing from Lithuania are covered by EU261 whatever the airline; flights from the UK to Lithuania by UK261; flights from Lithuania to the UK by EU261.

Punctuality of the busiest routes in 2025, from UK Civil Aviation Authority data (departures from UK airports).

RouteFlightsOn time3h+ lateCancelled
London Luton – Kaunas1,43879.4%0.21%0.07%
London Luton – Vilnius1,20184.0%0.17%0.33%

Busiest European routes

Why flights to Lithuania are delayed

In 2025, air traffic flow restrictions held back arrivals at Lithuania’s airports by 0.02 minutes per flight on average (EUROCONTROL, 3 airports). The worst month was Nov.

Causes of air traffic flow delay (2025)

  • other88%
  • accident/incident10%
  • ATC capacity2%

Average ATFM delay per arrival by month (min)

  1. J
  2. F
  3. M
  4. A
  5. M
  6. J
  7. J
  8. A
  9. S
  10. O
  11. N
  12. D

Weather and air traffic control restrictions are usually extraordinary circumstances – but the airline must show they caused your delay. Check what happened on your travel day.

Strikes

No strikes affecting flights in Lithuania are announced in our calendar at the moment.

Strike calendar

Where to complain

  1. The airline first – in writing, with your booking reference. Use our complaint letter generator.
  2. National enforcement body: Lithuanian Transport Safety Administration (Lietuvos transporto saugos administracija, LTSA) – Website in Lithuanian and English, according to the European Commission’s list..
  3. From the UK: if you flew from a UK airport or with a UK airline, you can also use UK ADR, the CAA or the small claims court.

Tips for flying to Lithuania

  • Vilnius, Kaunas and Palanga had almost no arrival flow-control delay in EUROCONTROL’s 2024–2025 data, so if your flight from Lithuania was badly delayed, ask the airline in writing for the specific reason.
  • airBaltic is a Latvian, and therefore EU, airline: its flights from Vilnius are covered by EU261 like any other departure, and so are its flights into Vilnius from outside the EU.
  • For a cross-border court claim up to €5,000, the European Small Claims Procedure is available.

Frequently asked questions

Am I covered on a flight to Lithuania?

From anywhere in the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, yes: EU261 covers every departing flight, whatever the airline – €250–€400 per passenger on typical routes if you arrive 3 hours or more late. From the UK, UK261 covers every departing flight (£350). From outside Europe you are covered only on an EU airline.

Am I covered on the flight home from Lithuania?

Lithuania applies EU261 to every departing flight, so you are covered with any airline (€250–€400 on typical routes).

Who enforces passenger rights in Lithuania?

Lithuanian Transport Safety Administration (Lietuvos transporto saugos administracija, LTSA) – Website in Lithuanian and English, according to the European Commission’s list.. Complain to the airline first; if it rejects you or does not answer, you can turn to this body. All national enforcement bodies.

Are strikes covered?

It depends whose staff are on strike. Air traffic control or airport strikes are usually extraordinary circumstances; strikes by the airline’s own staff are not (CJEU C-28/20). See strikes and compensation.

Data: Eurostat 2024, EUROCONTROL, UK Civil Aviation Authority 2025. Information only, not legal advice.

Sources

  1. National enforcement bodies under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (updated 13 October 2026) – European Commission
  2. Regulation (EC) No 861/2007 – European Small Claims Procedure (not applicable in Denmark) – EUR-Lex
  3. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – full text (Article 3: scope; recital 15: air traffic management decisions) – EUR-Lex
  4. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as it applies in the UK (UK261) – Article 3, scope – legislation.gov.uk
  5. UK flight punctuality statistics 2025 (flights by destination from UK airports) – UK Civil Aviation Authority
  6. Airport arrival ATFM (flow-control) delay data, 2024–2025 – EUROCONTROL Aviation Intelligence Unit
  7. Air passenger transport by reporting airport (avia_par), 2024 – Eurostat
  8. Eurostat – air passenger transport routes between partner airports and main airports (2024) – Eurostat
  9. EUROCONTROL – airport arrival ATFM delays (open performance data) – EUROCONTROL
  10. UK flight punctuality statistics 2025 – UK Civil Aviation Authority

We check every rule against the sources above. Spotted an error? Tell us – see our editorial policy.