airspace incident: Vilnius Airport (2026-05-13)

What happened

In the early hours of Wednesday 13 May Vilnius Airport halted traffic for one hour, from 02:16 to 03:16, after navigation signals characteristic of balloons were detected in areas sensitive to air traffic. According to Lithuanian Airports (via LRT/BNS) 2 flights and about 128 passengers were affected: one aircraft was diverted to Copenhagen and one flight was cancelled. The operator called the restriction a response to a hybrid attack by Belarus against Lithuania, civil aviation and the public. The sources give no balloon count; who launched the balloons has not been established.

Responsibility and limits of the evidence

not assessed

Nobody has yet assessed responsibility for this record. Not assessed is not the same as not established.

Impact

killed

not established

injured

not established

damage

not established

No casualties reported.

Sources

1. Suspected smuggling balloons disrupt flights at Vilnius Airport

   LRT English / BNS / 2026-05-13 / secondary source

   supports: the record, the disruption, that it happened, the date, the impact

2. Vilnius airport suspends operations over balloons from Belarus

   Pozirk / 2026-05-13 / secondary source

   supports: the record, the disruption

3. Vilnius Airport closed after alleged hybrid attack

   The New Voice of Ukraine / 2026-05-13 / secondary source

   supports: the record, the disruption