Starting March 1, Finnair will resume its evening flights between Helsinki and Vilnius that had been temporarily suspended because of security concerns related to a hybrid attack. The announcement was made by J. Taminskas, Lithuania's Minister of Transport and Communications, during a press conference following a government meeting. The return of this route indicates a vote of confidence from the airline in Lithuania’s airports and safety protocols for civil aviation.

The Minister also highlighted the positive trend in passenger numbers, reporting a nearly 10% increase in January compared to the same month last year, with over 480,000 passengers utilizing Lithuanian airports. This surge in air traffic demonstrates a growing recovery for the aviation sector post-attack, suggesting that the public is regaining trust in air travel to and from Lithuania.

Additionally, the background of this decision points to the previous suspension of the route initiated in early December amid heightened security alerts during a hybrid attack involving Belarusian contraband balloons. The resumption of Finnair's flights signals progress towards normalcy in air travel relations between Lithuania and Finland, bolstered by effective measures to ensure passenger safety.