This Airport in Lithuania Is Now a Massive Drive-in Movie Theater Screening International Films

For most people, travel isn’t really an option right now due to coronavirus, so airports are seeing a decreased amount of passengers. Now, it seems like one airport is determined to use its empty space to provide some kind of comfort to the public.

According to Lonely Planet, Vilnius International Airport in Lithuania has erected a giant drive-in movie screen on its tarmac, which is normally where airplanes are boarded, parked, or fueled.

The movie screen is about five stories high and the makeshift drive-in uses local radio frequencies for sound, Lonely Planet reported, so it’s exceptionally easy to view and hear whatever movie is playing while still practicing social distancing. Up to 220 cars can park in the screening area, though each car can only have a maximum of two passengers, according to a statement.

But the airport didn’t randomly come to the decision to create a drive-in movie theater on its grounds. According to Lonely Planet, the drive-in is part of a project called “Aerocinema - The Journey Begins,” which is part of the Vilnius International Film Festival. Since movie theaters are closed in Lithuania (and many parts of the globe), the airport provided a unique way to still screen international films for the public.

“Going out onto an airport apron, which is usually only possible to access after check-in, is an exciting experience. I think these screenings will leave an impression on audiences that will last a lifetime,” Algirdas Ramaška, general director of the film festival, in a statement.

We were excited to contribute to a project of this nature while also using this opportunity to demonstrate how airports can perfectly combine aviation activities with events and projects of various formats,” added Dainius Čiuplys, head of Vilnius International Airport, in a statement. “I believe that after the drive-in cinema events, Vilnius will have even more movie buffs and aviation lovers too.”

Films that will be screened at this aerocinema include "Parasite," "Portrait of a Lady on Fire," "The Handmaiden," "Corpus Christi," "Deerskin," and more.

More information about the airport drive-in can be found on the Vilnius International Film Festival website.