Heavy snowfall in the Baltic region triggered a serious travel disruption on 26 November 2025 when LOT Polish Airlines flight LO771 from Warsaw to Vilnius veered off the taxiway moments after landing. The Embraer E170 (registration SP-LDK) came to rest on soft ground; all 63 passengers and four crew members were evacuated without injury, but Vilnius Airport closed its main runway for more than four hours, forcing diversions to Kaunas and Riga and delaying onward connections into Poland.
For multinational firms shuttling staff between Warsaw’s financial hub and the Baltic capitals, the incident was a stark reminder of early-winter operational risk. Vilnius is a key node for near-shore IT and shared-service-centre traffic; the Warsaw–Vilnius route normally offers four daily frequencies, timed for day-trip meetings. Wednesday’s closure cancelled one rotation and created knock-on delays of up to six hours across LOT’s regional network, affecting connections to Gdańsk, Kraków and international long-haul waves at Warsaw Chopin.
![LOT jet skids off runway in Vilnius, disrupting Warsaw–Baltic business corridor]()
Preliminary data from Flightradar24 show that the aircraft touched down at 13:42 local time in low visibility and sub-zero surface temperatures. Aviation investigators will focus on runway-condition reporting and braking-action data, as Lithuania’s meteorological office had issued a sudden heavy-snow warning minutes before arrival. LOT confirmed that the plane suffered no structural damage, but it was towed for inspection, taking one airframe out of rotation at the start of the busy Advent travel period.
Travel-risk specialists are advising employers to review winter-weather contingency plans covering the Warsaw-Baltic corridor. Recommended measures include booking flexible fares, building buffer times for critical meetings, and arranging remote-work alternatives. Insurers note that Vilnius Airport’s snow-removal capacity is smaller than that of Warsaw Chopin, increasing the probability of future closures when snow bands track northeast.
Although the incident occurred in Lithuania, its ripple effects were felt most acutely in Poland: LOT’s ground-handling teams had to re-accommodate passengers on the return sector, and cargo consignments—including just-in-time medical samples—missed their connecting flights in Warsaw. The event underscores how operations beyond Poland’s borders can still derail domestic business-travel schedules and highlights the need for region-wide alert monitoring in corporate mobility programmes.
For multinational firms shuttling staff between Warsaw’s financial hub and the Baltic capitals, the incident was a stark reminder of early-winter operational risk. Vilnius is a key node for near-shore IT and shared-service-centre traffic; the Warsaw–Vilnius route normally offers four daily frequencies, timed for day-trip meetings. Wednesday’s closure cancelled one rotation and created knock-on delays of up to six hours across LOT’s regional network, affecting connections to Gdańsk, Kraków and international long-haul waves at Warsaw Chopin.
Preliminary data from Flightradar24 show that the aircraft touched down at 13:42 local time in low visibility and sub-zero surface temperatures. Aviation investigators will focus on runway-condition reporting and braking-action data, as Lithuania’s meteorological office had issued a sudden heavy-snow warning minutes before arrival. LOT confirmed that the plane suffered no structural damage, but it was towed for inspection, taking one airframe out of rotation at the start of the busy Advent travel period.
Travel-risk specialists are advising employers to review winter-weather contingency plans covering the Warsaw-Baltic corridor. Recommended measures include booking flexible fares, building buffer times for critical meetings, and arranging remote-work alternatives. Insurers note that Vilnius Airport’s snow-removal capacity is smaller than that of Warsaw Chopin, increasing the probability of future closures when snow bands track northeast.
Although the incident occurred in Lithuania, its ripple effects were felt most acutely in Poland: LOT’s ground-handling teams had to re-accommodate passengers on the return sector, and cargo consignments—including just-in-time medical samples—missed their connecting flights in Warsaw. The event underscores how operations beyond Poland’s borders can still derail domestic business-travel schedules and highlights the need for region-wide alert monitoring in corporate mobility programmes.
