Lithuania’s Vilnius Airport closes again due to balloons

Lithuania’s Vilnius Airport closes again due to balloons
Lithuanian flag, 17th october 2022
Reuters

Lithuania’s Vilnius airport was temporarily closed on Thursday after smugglers’ balloons appeared on radar, the National Crisis Management Centre said.

Last month, the Baltic state had closed its border crossings with Belarus in response to airspace disruptions caused by balloons entering from Belarus, but these crossings were reopened earlier on Thursday.

Authorities say the balloons are used by smugglers to transport contraband cigarettes and have criticized Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko for failing to stop the practice, calling it a hybrid attack on Lithuania.

While air traffic incident reports had decreased in recent weeks, Thursday’s closure of Vilnius airport underscores ongoing concerns over balloon-borne smuggling operations and their impact on national airspace security.

No injuries or damages were reported, and airport operations resumed once the airspace was cleared.

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