07 / 10
Bird alert closes Vilnius Airport for 38 minutes
A suspected drone over Lithuania turned out to be birds after Vilnius Airport briefly halted flights.
What happened
Lithuania halted operations at Vilnius Airport and launched a NATO fighter on Sunday in response to an airspace alert. Authorities issued a yellow-level warning around the capital and advised residents to find shelter. A visual check identified a flock of birds; the warning was cancelled and flights resumed.
Numbers
- 38 minutesDuration of airport closure — Flights later resumed
- At least 1NATO fighter launched precautionarily — From Siauliai air base
Questions
- What was the object?
- Radar data initially indicated an unidentified object; visual identification later found a flock of birds, ending the alert.
- Why were NATO aircraft involved?
- The fighter was launched as a precaution from Siauliai, where Italian personnel serve in NATO's Baltic air-policing mission.
- What continued during the airport disruption?
- The Vilnius marathon continued without interruption, while residents received advice to monitor updates and identify their nearest shelter.
- Which areas received the warning?
- Residents of Vilnius, Vilnius district, Trakai district and Elektrenai district received the yellow-level warning and shelter guidance on phones.
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The catch
The closure followed a suspected drone sighting, but authorities later identified birds rather than a drone.
The alert was cancelled.