Lithuanian authorities are considering relocating night-time commercial flights from Vilnius to Kaunas as Belarus-launched weather balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes continue to breach the controlled airspace of Vilnius International Airport. The issue, which has persisted since October 2025, has forced the capital’s airport to close temporarily on a regular basis, most often during evening and night hours.

According to Ignas Dobrovolskas, adviser to the Prime Minister, shifting night flights to Kaunas Airport is now under discussion as a measure that “could provide real assistance to passengers” affected by the repeated closures.

Vilnius International Airport has been forced to suspend operations multiple times due to these unmanned airborne objects. Last week alone, the airport shut down three times as flight safety procedures were activated to clear the airspace.

The weather balloons, launched from Belarus and carrying contraband cigarette shipments, have become a growing security concern for Lithuania’s aviation authorities, who must halt operations each time foreign objects enter controlled airspace.

The government is expected to evaluate the operational, logistical and economic implications of transferring night flights to Kaunas as it works to maintain passenger safety and minimise disruption amid the ongoing cross-border smuggling activity.