{"id":163658,"date":"2025-11-11T12:54:52","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T09:54:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/163658\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"balloon-incursions-keep-disrupting-vilnius-airport-operations","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/163658\/","title":{"rendered":"Balloon incursions keep disrupting Vilnius Airport operations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (tuda-suda.by)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

November 11, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> Operations at the Vilnius Airport were disrupted again last night, with several flights cancelled and redirected, LRT<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disruptions affected 470 passengers, said Tadas Vasiliauskas, of Lithuanian Airports, citing weather balloon incursions into Lithuania as the reason. Cigarette smugglers usually launch these balloons from Belarus, with tensions between both countries mounting last month and prompting Vilnius to close the shared border with Belarus until November 30.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In October, operations at Vilnius Airport were disrupted frequently due to its proximity to the Belarusian border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Border crossings in Medininkai and \u0160al\u010dininkai, closed on October 29 over balloon incursions, were the only two checkpoints that handled all cross-border traffic between Lithuania and Belarus. Vilnius closed \u0160umskas and Tvere\u010dius crossings in 2023 and Lavori\u0161k\u0117s and Raigardas in 2024, citing national security and smuggling among the reasons. Current closure may be extended, it warned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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