Another European country, Lithuania, suspended its air traffic at Vilnius Airport late last night after hot air balloons were reportedly flying in its airspace, which led to flights being diverted to neighbouring countries. The airport operator cited safety concerns, with flights diverted to neighbouring Latvia and Poland, while several departures were cancelled. One incoming flight from Copenhagen returned to Denmark.
This comes after European aviation has been facing an imminent shutdown of its air traffic in recent weeks due to drone sightings and airspace violations amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict in Poland, Romania, Germany, among others. Lithuania is a NATO member and firm supporter of Ukraine, shares a 679-km border with Belarus, which is a Russian ally. In August, it declared a 90-km no-fly zone near the Belarusian border to counter increasing drone incursions and strengthen national security.
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