Lithuania: Vilnius Airport, Lithuania’s busiest air hub, reopened on Sunday morning after a temporary shutdown caused by unusual smuggling activity involving helium-filled weather balloons. The incident led to the suspension of around 30 flights and affected nearly 6,000 passengers, according to the National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC).
Authorities reported that 25 balloons had entered Lithuanian airspace, with two observed directly above the airport. Seven of these were recovered, carrying a total of 12,000 packs of contraband cigarettes, allegedly smuggled from neighboring Belarus. The unusual method of transportation disrupted arrivals and departures, prompting some flights to be diverted to Latvia and Poland, while one Copenhagen-bound flight returned to Denmark.
The airport’s air traffic restrictions were lifted at 4:50 a.m. local time (01:50 GMT), but officials warned that residual delays could continue throughout the day due to disrupted crew schedules and aircraft rotations. Vilnius Airport is the second-largest in the Baltic region by passenger volume, after Riga in Latvia.
Lithuania, a NATO member sharing a 679-kilometer border with Belarus, has faced increasing challenges from airspace violations. In August, the country established a 90-kilometer no-fly zone along its border to counter unauthorized drones and incursions. This incident underscores the emerging trend of unconventional smuggling tactics and raises concerns over the security of critical air traffic infrastructure in Europe.
Authorities continue to investigate the origins of the balloons and the broader network behind the smuggling operation, emphasizing the need for enhanced monitoring and preventive measures to safeguard airspace from similar threats in the future.