MINSK, 24 May (BelTA) – Lithuania has not notified Minsk about its decision to introduce flights restrictions over Belarus' airspace, Artyom Sikorsky, director of the Aviation Department at the of Transport and Communications Ministry, told reporters, BelTA has learned.
"Lithuania has not notified the official Minsk about these restrictions," Artyom Sikorsky said. “On the other hand, we regret that our colleagues make emotion-driven decisions without waiting for the final findings of investigations. The preliminary information has been sent to ICAO, the aviation administrations of the registration states and the state operating aircraft. If the Lithuania aviation authorities and, first of all, aviation security specialists are interested in clarifying this situation here, on the spot, we invite them to come to Minsk."
BelTA reported earlier that an aircraft of the air carrier Ryanair was flying over Belarus on the way from Athens to Vilnius on 23 May. The aircraft sent a distress signal. The airport received the signal at 12:50. The FR4978 flight squawked code 7700 – it is the main emergency code, which signifies an emergency situation on board. A message about a bomb on board the aircraft was the reason for the distress call.
The pilot-in-command decided to divert the aircraft to the Minsk National Airport where the aircraft landed at 13:15. Emergency response teams of the airport, ambulances, aviation security personnel, and K9 specialists had already been waiting for the aircraft at the parking apron. Prompt security checks were made. Additional units of the Emergencies Ministry arrived. Representatives of law enforcement agencies worked on site.
There were 123 passengers on board. All of them went through an additional aviation security check and were delivered to the airport's transit lounge for investigation measures. The luggage was also removed from the aircraft and submitted to an additional security check. The tip about the bomb on board the aircraft proved false. The aircraft left the Minsk National Airport for Vilnius at 20:48.
The Investigative Committee branch of Minsk's Oktyabrsky District has opened a criminal case into a knowingly false report about danger in line with part 1, Article 340 of the Criminal Code.
