Drone detection technology installed at Lithuania’s Palanga Airport

Lithuanian Airports (LTOU) have announced that a new advanced drone detection system has been installed at Palanga Airport to stop the threat of drones from local residents and visitors to the area.

The new equipment was installed as the airport welcomes record passenger flows and an increasing number of flights.

A similar system will soon start operating at Kaunas and Vilnius airports.

No-fly zones for drones have been formed taking into account the take-off and landing paths of aircraft at various altitudes in order to ensure the highest level of aviation safety. This year, 37 unauthorised drone flights have already been recorded in the airport’s control area.

“Unmanned aerial vehicles pose a new type of threat to aviation safety and security,” stated Vidas Kšanas, director of safety, security and resilience at Lithuanian Airports.

“In order to maintain the highest standards of aviation security while the airport is serving record passenger flows, we have installed the latest generation drone detection system, which allows us to detect unauthorised activities with extreme accuracy.

“We encourage the residents and guests of Palanga to enjoy the seaside with their own eyes, and if they see the drone – to report it.”

The system monitors the airspace with the help of antennas and detects the scattering of radio signals. Within the boundaries of the aerodrome and its protection zones, monitoring is carried out around the clock throughout the year.

The technical capabilities of the new system allow to determine the location, direction of movement, altitude, time and other identification parameters of the drone, as well as the geographical location of the drone operator.

Palanga Airport handled a record 448,000 passengers in 2025, 18.7% more than in 2024, and notes that traffic continued to rise in Q1 of 2026.