Vilnius airport temporarily shut down for third time this week
Photo: Vilnius airport temporarily closed (Getty Images)
Vilnius International Airport was closed after balloons were spotted flying toward its airspace, according to Vilnius Airport on Facebook.
Aircraft movement at Vilnius Airport was temporarily suspended on October 26 at 09:42 PM local time.
"According to preliminary reports, the decision to restrict airspace was prompted by the flight of balloons heading toward Vilnius Airport," the airport’s social media statement said.
The airspace restrictions were initially set to last until 03:40 on Monday, October 27, and later extended for another two hours, until 05:40.
According to Lithuanian outlet LRT, several flights were redirected to Kaunas and Riga, with at least 15 flights delayed or rerouted due to the closure.
Just hours before the balloon incident and airport shutdown, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said the country should consider restricting transit to Kaliningrad and closing the border with Belarus over the recurring balloon incidents.
"The president views the recent incidents and disruptions at the airport as a hybrid attack against Lithuania that requires both symmetrical and asymmetrical responses," local media quoted Nausėda as saying.
Airspace violations in Lithuania
This week, Lithuania’s air traffic was disrupted three times due to contraband balloons.
On Friday and Saturday, Vilnius Airport’s operations were interrupted for two consecutive days, and Kaunas Airport also experienced problems on one of them.
Lithuania has repeatedly closed parts of its border with Belarus, including two checkpoints on October 25, following similar incidents.
Earlier, on October 5, Vilnius Airport was also shut down after helium balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes from Belarus entered Lithuanian airspace.
