The Latvian airline airBaltic will move up the departure times of its two flights from Vilnius Airport starting November 20, citing recent disruptions caused by smuggling balloons crossing from Belarus.
“In view of the recent disruptions caused by the temporary closure of Lithuanian airspace, airBaltic has decided to adjust the schedule of two flights,” airline spokesperson Edvards Dalderis told BNS on Wednesday. He said the changes aim to reduce operational risks and ensure safe and reliable flights.
From November 20, flights from Krakow will arrive in Vilnius at 17:40, instead of after midnight, and flights from Munich will land at 18:55, instead of 22:15.
Dalderis said the impact on passengers will be minimal, as the flights will continue to operate on the same days as before.
According to airBaltic, about 20 of its flights have been affected by Lithuanian airspace restrictions in recent weeks.
Earlier, Saulius Batavičius, CEO of Oro Navigacija (Air Navigation), the state-owned air traffic control provider, said airlines are not considering suspending flights from Vilnius Airport.
Over the past two weeks, operations at Vilnius Airport have been suspended five times and once at Kaunas Airport due to sightings of weather balloons used by smugglers to transport cigarettes from Belarus. They disrupted more than 160 flights and affected over 22,000 passengers. Most suspensions have occurred during nighttime hours, beginning around 20:00.
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