US EditionLithuania's Vilnius airport reopens after suspension over balloons in airspace
About 30 flights were delayed, canceled, or diverted affecting roughly 6,000 passengers after balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes from Belarus entered Lithuanian airspace.
- Up to 25 small hot-air balloons entered Lithuanian airspace, causing Vilnius Airport to shut down and delaying 30 flights for roughly 6,000 passengers.
- Authorities recovered 11 balloons and approximately 18,000 packs of smuggled cigarettes, with the balloons confirmed to be ferrying contraband, according to spokesperson Darius Buta.
- Lithuanian authorities have intercepted 544 hot-air balloons from Belarus this year, increasing concerns about smuggling and airspace violations.
- Both smuggling balloons and drones are considered criminal activities but not provocations or acts of sabotage.
129 Articles
129 Articles
Vilnius airport was closed for a few hours this night, and is still suffering discomfort, due to the entry of a series of balloons from Belarus, which according to the Lithuanian authorities would have transported contraband cigarettes (ANSA)
Small hot-air balloons smuggling tens of thousands of cigarette packs force Lithuania to close Vilnius Airport for hours
Up to 25 small hot-air balloons, some of them confirmed to be carrying smuggled cigarettes, entered Lithuanian airspace late Saturday and forced the shutdown of Vilnius Airport, delaying flights for hours, authorities said. The balloons interfered with 30 flights, impacting some 6,000 passengers, according to Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Center. Flights resumed at 4:50 a.m. (0150 GMT) Sunday. While the balloons turned out to be ferryin…
Up to 25 hot air balloons of small sizes entered Lithuania's airspace on Saturday night and determined to close the airport in Vilnius, causing more than an hour's delay, they announced...
Vilnius airport was closed for several hours because of a group of balloons, which is reported on the Facebook page of the airport.
Associated Press News
Balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes over Lithuania closed Vilnius Airport for hours
Up to 25 small hot-air balloons, some carrying smuggled cigarettes, entered Lithuanian airspace late Saturday, forcing the shutdown of Vilnius Airport.
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