Passengers at Vilnius Airport are transported by a Lithuanian electric bus

A prototype electric bus named “Dancer,” developed and manufactured in Lithuania, is currently undergoing passenger testing at Vilnius Airport. This prototype is a completely environmentally friendly vehicle, developed based on the latest scientific research by Elektrinio transporto sistemos, a subsidiary of the Vējo projektai Group. This subsidiary is implementing a project funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

Elektrinio transporto sistemos, Vilnius Airport, and the ground services company Litcargus have signed a tripartite agreement to jointly conduct actual passenger service trials of the bus.

Passengers at Vilnius Airport are transported by a Lithuanian electric bus

“The first steps are being taken at Vilnius Airport, although there is still a long way to go, and we continue to actively look for ways to encourage changes in the polluting transport of ground handling companies. We are already seeing a number of initiatives in Europe: electric airport buses, electric taxis for arriving and departing passengers, and there is interest in introducing other alternatively fueled vehicles. The Dancer bus at Vilnius Airport is a great example of this. It is even more gratifying that this passenger bus is a product of a Lithuanian company,” says Transport Minister Marius Skuodis.

Taking into account the aspirations of the green path approved at the European Union level and increasingly stringent requirements for environmental protection, Lithuanian airports also aim to reduce pollution, so the provision of ground services by electric vehicles is one of the possibilities of “greening” operations.

“We are really happy to be able to contribute to the aspirations of a company with Lithuanian capital, which we believe has the potential to become a global success. Lithuanian airports participate in the “Net Zero” initiative, which means that by all means, using a wide range of solutions, we are looking for ways to reduce the CO2 footprint (carbon footprint) resulting from our operations, and testing such a solution will, I firmly believe, be a step in the chosen direction,” says Arnas Dūmanas, Head of Lithuanian Airports’ Operations Department and Infrastructure.

Linas Vaškys, head of the aircraft maintenance and passenger ground services company “Litcargus”, also highlighted the advantages of the project:

“Such projects allow us to understand how new generation transport can work in real conditions, what advantages they can offer, and also allow us to understand what is still worth improving. After all, the results of this project will serve to improve further inventions, which is very important for the aviation sector,” says L. Vaškys, CEO of Litcargus.

According to Alvydas Naujėkas, general director of Vējo projektai, the results of the Dancer bus operation at Vilnius Airport will be used to improve the technological parameters and construction of the vehicle.

“Aviation is always one step ahead when it comes to innovative solutions in transportation. We learned from the fiber composite masters who worked in the Airbus aviation cluster in Germany when we developed the Dancer, the lightest electric bus on the market.” Therefore, cooperation on testing the bus on the territory of the airport can give positive results in the development of new technological solutions not only in the field of electric transport, but also in aviation,” says A. Naujekas.

The 12 meter long Dancer bus prototype can carry almost 90 passengers at a time: it has 32 seats and 56 standing places, two of which can be transformed into a seat for a disabled person. The bus body is made of composite material containing recycled PET plastic. Due to its extremely light weight, the Lithuanian electric bus requires less energy to travel, so its energy consumption is on average 0.72 kWh per kilometer travelled.

conclusion

Linas Vaškys, Head of the aircraft maintenance and passenger ground services company Litcargus, emphasized the practical and strategic value of the project. According to him, initiatives of this kind provide an opportunity to evaluate how next-generation transport solutions perform under real operating conditions.

“Such projects allow us to understand how new generation transport can work in real conditions, what advantages they can offer, and also allow us to understand what is still worth improving. After all, the results of this project will serve to improve further inventions, which is very important for the aviation sector,” said L. Vaškys, CEO of Litcargus.

His remarks highlight the importance of testing innovative vehicles not only in controlled environments but also in demanding operational settings such as airports. Aviation infrastructure requires high reliability, efficiency, and strict safety standards. Therefore, introducing advanced transport technologies into this environment offers valuable insights that can help refine both performance and sustainability solutions.

Meanwhile, Alvydas Naujėkas, General Director of Vėjo projektai, noted that the operational results of the Dancer bus at Vilnius Airport will be carefully analyzed. The collected data will be used to further improve the vehicle’s technological parameters and structural design.

This collaboration between aviation service providers and transport innovators demonstrates how pilot projects can accelerate the development of more efficient and environmentally friendly mobility solutions. By applying real-world feedback, manufacturers can optimize ve