Vilnius Airport has a new, somewhat unconventional, Christmas Tree. It’s not just there to share the festive spirit; it has a more serious message regarding what can and can’t be brought onto planes.

Vilnius International Airport is the largest airport in Lithuania, serving just under five million passengers per year. But that’s not saying much, considering the country has just four commercial airports in total.

As with all airports and just about any other public space, Vilnius Airport has got the Christmas decorations out for the festive season. But one of the airport’s new decorations has got people talking.

The special Christmas tree

We all know what a typical Christmas tree looks like, with lights and a sprinkling of decorations. But, every now and then you see one that stands out.

That’s certainly the case with one Christmas tree at Vilnius Airport, which has been made from an assortment of confiscated objects, including scissors, lighters, knives, and even bullets.

Standing at 1.5 meters in height, the tree is there to remind travelers of the objects which are prohibited on planes.

Christmas tree
via Instagram

According to reporting by The Independent, the tree took just over two weeks to build and was made from objects which were taken from passengers traveling through security. In a press release, a Vilnius Airport spokesperson said:

"The items are prohibited to carry in hand luggage and were taken away from passengers during screening. Knives, scissors, lighters, blades, and all sorts of other dangerous goods.”

The airport hopes that the Christmas tree will serve as a striking visual reminder of the numerous prohibited objects which, despite clearly being shown in signs, many passengers still attempt to pass through security carrying.

The reception

Although the Christmas tree is far from visually appealing, it has been praised as a novel means of spreading a message about airport security.

According to reports by Quartz, the Christmas tree and its creators received praise from Lithuanian Airports on LinkedIn, which called it “a truly unique educational masterpiece.”

Meanwhile, the Independent had a different opinion, calling it “the least cheerful Christmas tree ever.”

Despite the mixed reviews, the Christmas tree has certainly achieved its objective of raising awareness about prohibited items. It has made the rounds on social media and various news sites, something that the security team who made it will no doubt be pleased to see.

Vilnius Airport

While the Christmas tree will soon have to be packed away and returned to the airport’s storage cupboard for another year, the airport itself may soon have to make way for a new one.

Vilnius Airport
Vilnius Airport is getting busier by the year. Photo: Trevort Morgondont via Wikimedia Commons

Earlier in the year, Lithuania’s Minister of Transport and Communications, Rokas Masiulis, confirmed that a new mega airport may be on the cards in the future.

“Lithuanian airports have been facing increasing passenger flows in recent years. If the trend is to continue, a new airport might be built in the country,” he said.

The location of the new airport may end up being somewhere between the country’s two main airports in Vilnius and Kaunas, although there are no concrete plans yet.