Lithuania Suspends Flights at Vilnius Airport Following Discovery of Unknown 'Balloons'

Lithuania suspends air traffic in its capital Vilnius due to the potential presence of 'balloons' in the airspace, leading to the rerouting of most flights to neighboring Latvia and Poland, and the cancellation of departing flights.

The operator of Vilnius Airport announced via its website and social media platforms that the airspace above the airport is temporarily closed due to these unidentified flying objects, believed to be a series of balloons heading towards the airport.

This decision comes amid recurring chaos in the European aviation sector over the past weeks, with reports of airspace breaches and drones near airports in Copenhagen and Munich.

Lithuanian authorities indicated that the source of these balloons is still unclear and described them as 'smuggling balloons' without revealing further details.

Lithuania, a member of NATO, announced last August the establishment of a no-fly zone extending 90 kilometers along its border with Belarus in response to the entry of drones from there, with its armed forces having the right to respond to any air violations.

Lithuania shares a long border with Belarus, a close ally of Russia, and Vilnius is located about 30 kilometers from this border.

In a related context, Germany has deployed the military to monitor drones at Munich Airport amid rising security tensions in European airspace.

This escalation follows a series of recent security incidents, including the crash of a DHL cargo plane near Vilnius Airport in November 2024, which was under investigation after attempts to smuggle via aircraft were discovered.

Travelers are advised to regularly check updates from airlines and the airport to avoid being affected by any sudden changes in flights.