Overview

• Flight operations were halted late Saturday as aviation authorities closed Vilnius airspace until early Sunday for safety reasons.
• At least ten flights were affected, with several diversions to Riga, Kaunas and airports in Poland, one return to Copenhagen and one cancellation to Helsinki.
• The approach was detected around 22:16 local time, and the shutdown order came from Lithuania’s civil aviation regulator, according to the airport operator.
• Officials have not determined the origin of the objects, which the National Crisis Centre described as “smuggling balloons” without further definition.
• The incident follows recent drone-related disruptions at European airports and comes as Lithuania maintains strict airspace controls near the Belarus border.