Air Lituanica is set to start scheduled services at the end of this month with an Embraer 170 aircraft leased from Estonian Air.

The Lithuanian start-up carrier will first serve Brussels from its hub Vilnius on 30 June, and launch services to Amsterdam and Berlin later. The flights will be marketed under the Air Lituanica brand but will operated with an Estonian Air flight number.

The lease contract runs through the end of 2015.

In its first year of operations Air Lituanica is to add services to Prague, Munich and Moscow with an E-170/175 mixed fleet leased from Estonian Air and ECC Leasing.

The carrier also entered a commercial service agreement with Estonian Air that will allow access to distribution booking channels and agreements with partner airlines.

"Air Lituanica has chosen Estonian Air as a commercial partner to ensure a wide distribution network throughout the world and to offer connecting flights starting from Vilnius to more than 100 cities," says Air Lituanica's chief executive Erikas Zubrus.

Air Lituanica plans to grow its fleet to up to five regional aircraft, serving 12 destinations from Vilnius by 2016.

Source: Air Transport Intelligence news