Vilnius Airport restricted operations for nearly an hour at night due to threats from smuggling balloons. One flight was redirected to Copenhagen, and another was canceled.
On the night of Wednesday, the operations of Vilnius Airport were temporarily disrupted due to balloons that, according to Lithuanian authorities, are used for smuggling goods across the border.
As reported by the company Lietuvos oro uostai, airspace restrictions were implemented at 2:16 AM after navigation markers characteristic of such balloons were detected near aviation hazard zones.
The airport's operations were fully restored approximately an hour later — at 3:16 AM.
The incident affected two flights and around 128 passengers. One aircraft was redirected to Copenhagen Airport, while another flight had to be canceled.
Such incidents occur regularly in Lithuania. This year alone, operations at Vilnius Airport have already been interrupted eight times due to threats from smuggling balloons.
It is important to understand that for civil aviation, even a small airborne object near takeoff and landing zones can pose a serious risk, especially at night and in poor visibility conditions.
According to BNS, last year such balloons caused disruptions to more than 300 flights in Vilnius. In total, the issues affected around 47,000 passengers, and airports were closed for nearly 60 hours.
Lithuanian authorities link these incidents to Belarus and view them as an element of hybrid pressure from Alexander Lukashenko's regime.
Balloons are used by smugglers to deliver cigarettes and other goods across the border. However, due to their flight altitude and uncontrolled movement, they also create problems for aviation.
Amid ongoing incidents, the issue of airspace security is becoming increasingly sensitive for the Baltic states.
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