Temporary airspace restrictions were imposed over Vilnius Airport overnight Wednesday after suspected smuggling balloons were detected near the airport, disrupting flights and affecting more than 100 passengers.
Lithuanian Airports said the restrictions were introduced at 02:16 after aviation authorities detected navigation signals characteristic of balloons in areas sensitive to air traffic operations.
The restrictions were lifted an hour later, at 03:16, and normal airport operations resumed.
The disruption affected two flights and approximately 128 passengers. One aircraft was diverted to Copenhagen, while another flight was cancelled.
It was the ninth such disruption at Vilnius Airport this year linked to suspected smuggling balloons. The airport last suspended operations over a similar incident in April.
According to Lithuanian Airports, balloon-related incidents disrupted more than 300 flights last year, affecting around 47,000 passengers and causing nearly 60 hours of airport closures.
Lithuanian authorities have described the repeated balloon incursions as part of a “hybrid attack” orchestrated by the Belarusian government in Minsk.
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