Lithuania’s Vilnius airport reopens after suspension over balloons in airspace
European aviation has repeatedly been thrown into chaos in recent weeks by drone sightings and air incursions
European aviation has repeatedly been thrown into chaos in recent weeks by drone sightings and air incursions, including at airports in Copenhagen and Munich.
Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC) said the security scare occurred when helium weather balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes drifted towards the airport, halting 30 flights and affecting nearly 6,000 passengers.
A total of 25 balloons were detected in Lithuanian airspace, including two flying above Vilnius airport, the NCMC said, adding that seven of these had been recovered by authorities and were found to be carrying 12,000 packs of cigarettes.
The air traffic restrictions, which ended at 4.50am, affected arriving and departing flights, causing some cancellations, the airport operator said.
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The Vilnius airport said the closure affected a series of overnight flights, with most incoming flights redirected to neighbouring Latvia and Poland, while departures were cancelled. One flight due to arrive from Copenhagen returned to Denmark.