On the evening of March 15, the commander of Cat Bi International Airport discovered a UAV when flight VJC280 (Ho Chi Minh City - Hai Phong) was preparing to land. This device appeared about 8 km from the wheel touch point, at an altitude of about 300 m and moved across the flight path.
At the same time, the flight crew of flight VN1180 (Ho Chi Minh City - Hai Phong) also reported seeing a strange object glowing in the approach area.
According to Cat Bi International Airport, the incident affected 6 flights to and from the airport. Among them, 4 flights expected to land had to fly around waiting and then divert to Noi Bai; 2 other flights had to temporarily stop to wait for departure. Some flights also had to fly to wait for operating instructions.
Immediately after receiving the information, Cat Bi International Airport activated the coordination process to ensure operational safety, and at the same time notified functional agencies to verify and trace the origin of the flying object. Forces of the Hai Phong City Military Command, local police and related units organized observation and zoning of the flight path area.
At 8:57 pm on the same day, functional forces identified the flying object as a kite released by people in Tien Lap village, An Khanh commune (former An Lao area), Hai Phong city. The kite was about 260 x 100 cm in size, attached with 14 sets of bamboo flutes and multi-colored flashing lights, flying at an altitude of about 400 m with a rope of about 900 m long. The exhibits were seized and a record of handling was made according to regulations.
Around dawn on March 16, after the area was confirmed safe, operations at Cat Bi airport were restored.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam is coordinating with functional agencies in Hai Phong to review and handle the situation of unmanned aerial vehicles entering the operating area.
Previously, similar incidents occurred at Da Nang International Airport on February 17 and 22, causing 54 flights to be delayed due to waiting for takeoff or landing.
From June 13-15, 2025, UAV equipment also appeared in the flight area at Tho Xuan Airport, forcing many flights to divert and the airport to temporarily suspend operations.
People are advised not to fly kites, flycams, UAVs or other flying objects near the airport area, especially in the flight path corridor, as they may threaten aviation safety and affect operations.
In the coming time, Cat Bi International Airport will continue to coordinate with functional agencies and local authorities to strengthen propaganda, control and handle violations.
