For Lithuania, the World

Now that Lithuania's national carrier FlyLAL is bankrupt, AirBaltic plans to exploit the vacuum by expanding rapidly in that market. CEO Bertolt Flick says five new direct routes from Vilnius will be launched. The airline also plans to offer flexible payment terms for Lithuanian passengers to get them back in the habit of flying.
A special building is under construction just outside the Vilnius airport's main terminal where Lithuanian passengers may trade potatoes, eggs, cucumbers, and other produce from their gardens for airline tickets. Seasonally, chanterelle mushrooms, blueberries, and moose pelts will also be accepted. "It's nothing unusual in Lithuania," said an unnamed airline spokesman. "In the Soviet times you could buy a car or house with blueberries." The produce will be sold directly to Lithuania's VP Market, who will export the items throughout the region. "This will, once again, in a very unique way, put Lithuania back on the world map!" proclaimed Lithuania's President Dalia Grybauskaitė.