No civilian flights will take off from Siauliai after the passenger terminal building lease expires in March 2027, Lithuania's defense minister, Robertas Kaunas said. The minister added the country's main goal should be keeping it up to NATO standards, emphasizing that Lithuania has enough civilian airports.

Siauliai is owned and operated by Lithuanian Air Force and serves as its home base, while simultaneously accommodating civilian non-scheduled passenger and cargo flights.

Meanwhile, businesses located at Siauliai warn against such a move, stating they would lose significant investments if the airport were closed to civilian traffic and, consequently, its international status. Estonian-owned Aviatic MRO reportedly planned to invest in the Siauliai maintenance hub, but needs assurance that the airport will keep its current status. According to ch-aviation data, Siauliai has two civilian MROs, Aviatic MRO and Airhub Aviation.

Simultaneously, Riga has been preparing to take over live animal cargo transport from the region to third countries, an activity previously reserved for Siauliai.