Balloons carrying cigarettes trigger Vilnius Airport closure

Lithuanian authorities closed Vilnius Airport late on Saturday after up to 25 small hot-air balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes were detected entering the country’s airspace, forcing the diversion or cancellation of dozens of flights and affecting about 6,000 passengers, officials said. Air traffic resumed early Sunday once authorities assessed the situation and recovered multiple balloons and large quantities of contraband.

The National Crisis Management Centre said the disruption affected roughly 30 flights and about 6,000 passengers. Border police recovered 11 balloons and about 18,000 packs of smuggled cigarettes in several locations, a spokesperson, Darius Buta, told officials. Two of the balloons passed over Vilnius Airport itself, and more than two dozen reached areas across Vilnius County between about 8:45 p.m. on Saturday and 4:30 a.m. on Sunday, authorities said. Flights restarted at around 4:50 a.m. local time.

Most inbound flights were diverted to neighboring Latvia and Poland, and many departures were canceled during the shutdown. The airport operator advised travelers to check airline notices and the airport website for updates. Officials said the closure was a...