Balloons Carrying Contraband Cigarettes Disrupt Air Traffic at Vilnius Airport

Tue Oct 14 2025 18:07:40 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Flights at Vilnius Airport were suspended after dozens of balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes entered Lithuanian airspace, highlighting a growing trend of aerial contraband smuggling in the region.

A recent incident involving meteorological balloons used by smugglers disrupted flights at Vilnius Airport, resulting in the cancellation of 30 flights and affecting around 6,000 passengers. This unusual method, typically employed to transport weather instruments, has become increasingly popular among smugglers moving contraband from Belarus to Lithuania, raising concerns over airspace security amidst rising tensions in Europe.

Balloons carrying thousands of packs of cigarettes have disrupted flights in Lithuania, as Vilnius Airport was forced to close for hours when dozens of them floated into the country's airspace.

The National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC) reported that 25 meteorological balloons were detected entering Lithuania from neighbouring Belarus, two of which ended up directly over the airport. This shutdown led to 30 flight cancellations affecting approximately 6,000 passengers, with warnings of potential delays continuing into Monday.

The airspace violations occur amid heightened tensions in Europe following recent drone incursions, suspected to be linked to Russian actions, which led to significant air traffic disruptions.

Moscow has denied any involvement in these aerial incidents. Lithuanian officials noted that up to 14 of the weather balloons launched over the weekend floated over the Vilnius area, which is close to the border with Belarus. At least 11 balloons carrying 18,000 packs of black-market cigarettes have been recovered, although this number may rise.

Despite the disruption, a spokesman from the NCMC stated that contraband balloons are not a new phenomenon for Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland. So far this year, Lithuanian authorities have recorded 544 balloons entering from Belarus, with 966 documented last year.

In neighboring Poland's Podlaskie region, more than 100 instances of contraband cigarettes being flown in using balloons have also been reported. In one notable case, Polish police detained a Belarusian citizen who was transporting cigarettes smuggled in via a balloon.

The NCMC explained that while drones provide better control, meteorological balloons are cheaper for transporting contraband from Belarus. Their aim is to seize as much contraband as possible and apprehend smugglers to deter this illegal activity.

Furthermore, recent weeks have seen other aerial incursions reported over Danish airports, with drone sightings also over Norway and Germany. These events have spurred European leaders towards strengthening air defenses to meet the growing security challenges.