Balloons trigger disruption: Lithuania's Vilnius airport suspends air traffic operations; flights diverted

Lithuania has suspended air traffic at Vilnius Airport after balloons were reportedly spotted in its airspace, prompting flights to be redirected to neighboring countries, the airport operator said late Saturday.

"The decision was made due to a possible series of balloons heading toward Vilnius Airport," the operator said through a statement on Facebook. "As a result of this incident, flights have been affected."
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The airport announced at 23.40 GMT that the closure is now expected to continue until 4.30 am Sunday (0130 GMT), two hours later than initially estimated.

Most incoming flights have been diverted to neighboring Latvia and Poland, departures have been canceled, and one flight from Copenhagen was forced to return to Denmark, the operator added.

The airport advised travelers to stay updated through its website and airline notifications.

European air travel has faced repeated disruptions in recent weeks due to drone sightings and airspace incursions, affecting airports such as Copenhagen and Munich.

In August, Nato member Lithuania established a 90 km (60-mile) no-fly zone along its border with Belarus after drones entered its airspace, aiming to give its armed forces time to respond to violations, as reported by Reuters.

A staunch supporter of Ukraine, Lithuania shares a 679 km (422-mile) border with Belarus, a close ally of Russia, with the capital Vilnius located about 30 km from the border.