Lithuanian Air Lines

Despite the first bidder had backing from Junkers and the second - from Sablatnig, the Lithuanian government did not follow the examples of neighbouring Latvia and Estonia, which facilitated the emergence of respectively Latvijas Gaisa Satiksmes Akciju Sabiedriba and Aeronaut.

Air passenger services in Lithuania were launched in 1922 and until 1938 were provided exclusively by foreign airlines, flying mostly transit routes: Deruluft, Danziger Luftreederei, Latvijas Gaisa Satiksmes Akciju Sabiedriba, Aeronaut, AB Aerotransport, Deutsche Luft Hansa, LOT.

In 1934 the Lithuanian Aero Club requested the Ministry of Communications for financial assistance for domestic Kaunas-Klaipėda route to be served by a three-seater plane.

As the idea was picked up by the press and the state-run news agency ELTA, the following year, 1935, witnessed an expanded suggestion by the Aero Club to establish air links with some important country centres as well.

Then, an indirect support came from Latvia where a domestic air route Riga-Liepaja served by state owned Valsts gaisa satiksme was inaugurated on May 15, 1937.

Initially planned service Kaunas-Klaipėda (Rumpiškės airfield) had to be cancelled in March 1939, due to annexation of Klaipėda by the Nazi Germany.

After speedy improvements at Palanga airfield, which included building up a passenger terminal, office for airline staff and a radio station for communication with the planes in flight, the regular service on Kaunas–Palanga route was launched on 3 June 1939.