Vilnius Airport Faces Ongoing Disruptions from Belarus Border Activity
Vilnius Airport has experienced meaningful disruptions this year due to repeated incursions into Lithuanian airspace. According to the Lithuanian Ministry of the interior, 599 contraband balloons and 197 drones have crossed into lithuanian airspace in 2024. These incidents have led to the disruption of 320 flights, impacting approximately 47,000 passengers and resulting in close to 60 hours of airport closures.
Recent disruptions forced temporary flight restrictions, lifted at 7:31 PM local time, and included instances of departing aircraft needing to alter their flight paths. Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, as wind conditions favor further balloon incursions, and are making decisions regarding airspace access based on aviation safety. The airport experienced closures on Wednesday evening and throughout Thursday night due to similar activity.Both Vilnius and Kaunas airports have been affected by these incidents in recent months.
These events are occurring alongside a dispute at the Lithuanian-Belarusian border. Following VilniusS decision to restrict operations at border crossings with Belarus for several weeks, Minsk has blocked the exit of Lithuanian-registered trucks. Lithuanian leadership views these actions as a intentional “hybrid attack” orchestrated by the Belarusian regime.
The Lithuanian government is scheduled to decide next week whether to declare a state of emergency in response to the ongoing balloon incursions and resulting aviation disruptions. The primary concern remains ensuring flight safety amidst the continued threat.