Flight Delayed or Cancelled in Lithuania? EU261 Rights at Vilnius, Kaunas and Palanga
Lithuania has no big home airline, so most flights are run by low-cost and foreign carriers. That does not change your rights: EU261 applies to every flight leaving a Lithuanian airport and to EU airlines flying in from outside the EU.
Main airports and airlines in Lithuania
Vilnius (VNO) is the main airport, followed by Kaunas (KUN) and the seaside Palanga (PLQ). Ryanair, Wizz Air, airBaltic, LOT and Lufthansa Group airlines are among the carriers serving Lithuania.
When EU261 applies to flights in Lithuania
EU261, the EU's air passenger rights law, generally applies when:
- You depart from an airport in Lithuania, on any airline. This includes low-cost flights from Kaunas.
- You fly into Lithuania from outside the EU on an airline licensed in the EU. An EU airline flying into Vilnius from a non-EU country is covered.
Connections through Warsaw, Riga or Frankfurt on one booking are generally assessed to your final destination.
Delays: care, re-routing and refunds
The airline must offer care (food and drink, two calls or emails, and a hotel with transfers if an overnight stay is needed) after a 2-hour delay on flights up to 1,500 km (Vilnius to Warsaw, about 400 km), 3 hours on flights within the EU over 1,500 km or other flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km (Vilnius to Barcelona, about 2,260 km), and 4 hours on longer flights (a long-haul journey over 3,500 km). If the delay reaches 5 hours, you may give up the trip and request a refund. For a cancellation, the airline must let you pick a refund or re-routing.
The fixed amounts in the regulation
EU261 also lists fixed amounts tied to distance, not ticket price: €250, €400 or €600 per passenger. They are relevant when you reach your final destination 3+ hours late, your flight is cancelled with less than 14 days' notice, or you are bumped. The airline can halve the €600 amount in some cases when arrival is within 4 hours of schedule. What applies to you depends on the facts.
Extraordinary circumstances and local disruptions
An airline can refuse the fixed amounts if it proves extraordinary circumstances: events beyond its control, like dangerous weather, ATC decisions or strikes, or security alerts. Ordinary technical problems and walkouts by its own employees have generally not qualified at the EU Court of Justice. Meals and hotels are still required. Since October 2025, Vilnius Airport has been closed or restricted several times because of smuggling balloons drifting into its airspace from Belarus. Airspace closures for security reasons are typically treated as extraordinary, but the airline still has to provide care and offer re-routing or a refund.
Where to complain in Lithuania
Write to the airline first and keep a copy. If that does not resolve it, contact the national enforcement body in the country where the problem happened. Lithuania's national enforcement body is the Lithuanian Transport Safety Administration (LTSA) in Vilnius. Information is in Lithuanian and English: ltsa.lrv.lt.
Coming in 2027: Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 amends EU261. Most changes apply from 23 October 2027, including a general nine-month deadline for compensation requests. Until then, the current rules above apply.
FAQ
My flight from Vilnius was diverted because the airport closed. What applies? The airline must provide care and get you to your destination or offer a refund. Security closures are usually treated as extraordinary.
Is a Ryanair flight from Kaunas covered? Yes. Every flight departing from Lithuania is covered by EU261.
Who enforces EU261 in Lithuania? The Lithuanian Transport Safety Administration (LTSA).
Related guides
- EU261 guide (en español)
- Flight cancelled: your options
- Missed connection guide
- All Europe flight delay guides
Create your letter
Delay Draft writes a clear letter you send to the airline yourself ($9.99 for 1 to 2 travelers, $24.99 for 3 to 6). We are not a law firm and do not file claims for you. Questions: claims@delaydraft.com.