Airspace restrictions were imposed over Vilnius airport for an hour on Wednesday evening due to balloons (weather probes) carrying contraband launched from Belarus.
According to Lithuanian Airports (LTOU), the restrictions affected two flights and inconvenienced more than 120 passengers. One plane was diverted to Copenhagen Airport and another flight had to be canceled.
Due to the threat posed by balloons carrying contraband from Belarus, the work of Vilnius airport was suspended many times. Such incidents have become especially frequent since last fall.
Threat to flight safety
According to the Ministry, cited by the Lithuanian portal Delfi.lt, this violation poses a direct threat to the safety of civil aviation. The Foreign Ministry demanded the introduction of temporary airspace restrictions over Vilnius International Airport.
The representative of Belarus was once again reminded that these incidents were considered serious violations of international law and deliberate hybrid attacks against Lithuania, for which Belarus was responsible.
The Ministry reiterated its demand that Belarus comply with its international obligations to monitor what was happening on its territory and in its airspace and to take immediate measures to prevent similar violations in the future.
In connection with the repeated influx of contraband balloons from Belarus, Lithuania appealed to the International Civil Aviation Organization.
