Аэропорт Вильнюса. Фото: Reform.news
On 6 December, Saturday, at 19:32 (GMT+2), Vilnius Airport resumed operations after restrictions in the airspace were lifted. The restrictions had been introduced at 18:06 (GMT+2) due to what authorities described as “a hybrid attack by Belarus against Lithuania, civil aviation, and society,” the airport’s press service reported.
The press service said that “navigation signals characteristic of balloons were detected in areas dangerous for aviation.”
Around 1,000 passengers were affected by the airport shutdown, and nine flights were either cancelled or diverted to other airports. Four flights were redirected to Kaunas Airport, one of which — arriving from Munich — returned to Vilnius after the restrictions were lifted, while passengers from the other flights diverted to Kaunas were transported to Vilnius by bus. One aircraft from Istanbul, which had landed at Riga Airport, also returned to Vilnius. Four flights were cancelled, according to the Vilnius Airport press service.
Some flight delays remain possible on 6–7 December due to disrupted crew and aircraft rotations. Passengers whose flights were disrupted or cancelled are advised to contact their airlines directly for detailed information.