Lithuanian authorities suspended operations at the country’s main airport, Vilnius Airport, on Tuesday night after dozens of smugglers’ balloons entered its airspace, the country’s National Crisis Management Center (NCMC) said in a statement.
NCMC asked passengers to follow official airport information, saying “operations have been disrupted due to meteorological balloons used to smuggle cigarettes from Belarus.”
The incident is the second time this month that Vilnius Airport has been forced to suspend operations due to balloons entering its airspace.
On October 5, balloons, some of which were confirmed to be carrying smuggled cigarettes, flew across the border from Belarus, delaying about 30 flights and affecting 6,000 passengers for hours.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Edited by: Carl Sexton