ERR News wrote in August that Flixbus Estonia had proposed opening a line between the capitals of Estonia and Lithuania, but an assessment conducted by the economic affairs ministry found that the company did not have a legal basis to offer international passenger transport.

The ministry concluded from data from the economic activity register that Flixbus Estonia had not applied for copies of licenses over the last six months, meaning in principle, the company had not technically conducted paid passenger transport.

MKM then issued an injunction to the company to meet the requirements in two months - which if Flixbus failed to do - the Association of Estonian International Road Carriers (ERAA) would repeal the license given to Flixbus Estonia, six months after it had received the license from the ERAA in the first place.

Michal Leman, Flixbus' CEO in Poland, Ukraine and the Baltics, told ERR on Wednesday Flixbus Estonia has now received a license from the ERAA to conduct international passenger travel. He added that the ministry has been notified of the company's compliance.

Leman said: "We are planning to open new lines in the Baltics in April of next year."

Representatives of MKM told ERR that Flixbus had indeed met the ministry's requirements and has applied for a certified copy of the ERAA license, but the company has not yet been given a license to operate in Estonia.

Taavi Audo, spokesperson of the economic affairs ministry noted: "MKM has not given Lithuania the approval to open the line yet because, in cooperation with the [Estonian] Road Administration, some of the circumstances of the proposal still need to be specified."

Flixbus entered the Baltic market in July of 2020, the company operates in more than 30 countries in Europe.

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