OREANDA-NEWS. On 06 March 2008 was announced, that national aviation company flyLAL - Lithuanian Airlines opened the Lithuanian Aviation Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is tribute to personalities who made an outstanding contribution to the history of aviation development in independent Lithuania. This year three Hall of Fame laureates were announced - these are: an Irish Tony Ryan, Stasys Dailydka and Saulius Stasiunas who held office of Chief Executive Officers of Lietuvos avialinijos (Lithuanian Airlines) for a long time.

“Today Lithuanian aviation company goes for the most ambitious development plans probably in the whole history of independent Lithuanian airlines. At the same time we feel bound to emphasise that the modern-day Lithuanian airlines can take a long view into future because a huge job has been already done. For this reason, today flyLAL-Lithuanian Airlines is opening the Lithuanian Civil Aviation Hall of Fame which at the same time is a historic Hall of Fame of flyLAL-Lithuanian Airlines. This Hall of Fame will be looked up by all persons visiting flyLAL. Today we also start a new tradition: every year new persons who were meritorious to Lithuanian aviation will be introduced into the Fame of Hall”, said flyLAL - Lithuanian Airlines CEO Tadas Puksta.

He said that award bestowed to Tony Ryan, reckoned as a godfather of Lithuanian airlines, who died last year, will be given to his immediate family. An Irish multimillionaire, a famous businessman and philanthropist, the owner of aircraft leasing company Guinness Peat Aviation (GPA), the co-founder of air company Ryanair personally saw that Lithuania, having just restored its independence from the Soviet Union, was leased Boeing-737. The first Boeing-737 landed in Vilnius in 1991; it was decorated with the Lithuanian flag with a large coat of arms in a red background, while the side of the plane boasted the inscription Lithuanian Airlines. The plane was accompanied by Tony Rayan in person. Seeing new possibilities to develop business in the countries which regained their independence, at the same time Tony Ryan gave a valuable support to the Lithuanian national airlines to spin off the Aeroflot and to continue independent operations.

Upon collecting his award, Stasys Dailydka who headed the company Lietuvos avialinijos in 1992–1997 stressed that support from the Irish was of particular importance for the airline just branched out from Aeroflot and making its first independent steps. S. Dailydka has founded the national airline company. Under his management, Lietuvos avialinijos started to use western aircrafts and to fly new routes, joined the International Aviation Transport Association, and was granted the right to sell tickets to the flights of global airlines, etc.

Saulius Stasiunas who headed the national aviation company during reorganisation and privatisation was given honour for a significant personal input in creating and implementing a strategy for planning financial resources and flows of the national airline.

Introducing a new aviation tradition in the country, flyLAL-Lithuanina Airlines intends to nominate the Hall of Fame laureate every year.