On Saturday evening, November 8, the operations of the capital's Vilnius Airport were suspended due to a threat associated with a weather balloon, reports LRT.
Vilnius Airport was closed at 20:45 local time. Air traffic was resumed at 21:50.
"According to preliminary information, the decision to impose restrictions in the airspace was made due to a balloon (or balloons) heading towards Vilnius Airport. The restrictions are in effect until 23:45," reported the National Crisis Management Center.
It was also noted that the restrictions could be lifted depending on the wind direction and the movement of the object.
A representative of the Minister of Communications, Lukas Paškevičius, stated that on Saturday evening, after a temporary halt to flights at Vilnius Airport, the restrictions were lifted remarkably quickly.
Services reported that it would take about three hours to normalize the situation – the restrictions were imposed until 23:45. However, to minimize the impact on passengers and ensure flight safety, the airspace was opened earlier – at 21:50.
In similar cases earlier, restrictions lasted more than six hours.
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