Finnair is cancelling one of its evening flights from Helsinki to Vilnius, citing contraband balloons launched from Belarus and related operational challenges, Lithuanian Airports (LTOU) said Thursday.
LTOU spokesperson Tadas Vasiliauskas confirmed to LRT.lt that the airline notified airport authorities on Wednesday of the decision.
“Finnair informed airport services yesterday that due to operational challenges and temporary airspace restrictions at certain times – caused by Belarus’ hybrid attack – it is cancelling one evening flight, one of the four daily services currently operated between Vilnius and Helsinki,” Vasiliauskas said.
The decision affects only the evening flight, which was typically operated late in the day. Finnair has told authorities the cancellation will remain in effect until the end of February 2026.
“Regular daily service with Helsinki will continue,” Vasiliauskas added.
The move follows schedule changes by airBaltic, which has already adjusted the times of two flights due frequent operation suspensions at Vilnius Airport caused by contraband balloons.
The airline advanced the arrival time of Krakow–Vilnius flights, which until now landed shortly after midnight; under the new schedule, planes will arrive in Vilnius at 17:40.
A Saturday Munich–Vilnius flight has also been brought forward. Instead of arriving at 22:15, it will now land at 18:55.
Lithuania has imposed repeated airspace restrictions over Vilnius Airport in recent months in response to what it describes as a hybrid attack by the Belarusian government targeting its civil aviation. Between October and November, airspace over Vilnius was restricted 14 times due to balloon sightings, and once over Kaunas Airport.
Nearly 320 flights and more than 45,000 passengers were affected during that period. According to LTOU, the number of impacted passengers amounts to about 5% of all travellers handled at Vilnius Airport over those two months.
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