Overview
- Authorities halted air traffic late Tuesday after the National Crisis Management Centre reported dozens of balloons in Vilnius Airport’s airspace.
- Eight inbound flights were redirected to Kaunas and Warsaw, according to the airport operator.
- By early Wednesday, nearly 30 flights were affected due to operational restrictions, and the airport reopened with cancellations and delays.
- This was the second disruption in October, following an Oct. 5 incident that delayed about 30 flights and affected roughly 6,000 passengers.
- Officials link the incursions to Belarus-based contraband operations, citing hundreds of balloon and drone interceptions this year and tens of suspects detained.