Temporarily suspending take-off and landing to inspect flying objects On the morning of August 14, the Southern Flight Management Company informed about the incident of 3 kites with lights appearing in the vicinity of Tan Son Nhat International Airport on the evening of August 13.
According to the company's quick report, at about 7:40 pm on August 13, flight control units received information about an object suspected of being a drone appearing in the Tham Luong direction area.
At this time, the location and altitude of the object have not been accurately determined. Tan Son Nhat APP/TWR Center immediately exchanged and verified with relevant units, and at the same time checked information through flight crews operating in the area. Flight operations at Tan Son Nhat are still maintained and closely monitored during the initial verification process.
At about 8:02 PM, information continued to be updated, identifying the object appearing in the Tay Thanh ward area. Faced with the risk of affecting flight operations, the Southern Airport Authority requested a temporary suspension of takeoff and landing at Tan Son Nhat for forces to continue checking and assessing the situation.
During this time, aircraft en route to Tan Son Nhat are organized by the APP/TWR Center to fly in anticipation accordingly. Aircraft preparing to depart are temporarily kept underground.
Tan Son Nhat APP/TWR Center also coordinates with the Southern Airport Authority, Tan Son Nhat International Airport and relevant agencies and units to continuously update information, assess the situation and operate flight operations appropriately. At about 8:16 pm, after receiving information allowing continued operation, take-off and landing operations at Tan Son Nhat were restored.
Departure flights continue to be operated according to the operating plan. The APP/TWR Center still coordinates with flight crews to update the actual situation in the area. According to the Southern Flight Management Company, during the time the flying object appeared, the incident affected 21 flights.
At about 8:34 PM, after further verification, functional forces confirmed that the flying object previously discovered was 3 kites with lights attached. Local police made a record and handled it according to regulations. The Southern Flight Management Company said that it had notified and fully coordinated with relevant units in the process of handling.
Proactively prevent to ensure flight safety
According to the Southern Flight Management Company, the adjustment of operating operations in the above situation is carried out with the highest priority principle of ensuring safety.
When information about unidentified flying objects in the area that may affect aviation operations appears, plans such as organizing aircraft to fly in wait, temporarily keeping aircraft underground or temporarily stopping take-off and landing for the necessary time are implemented to prevent risks.
The air traffic management unit believes that the incident shows that even objects such as kites, when appearing in an area that may affect flight operations, can also create risks to operational safety.
Tan Son Nhat is located in a densely populated urban area with high aviation density. Therefore, the Southern Flight Management Company recommends that people not fly kites, use drones, flycams or vehicles and objects that may affect aviation operations in areas at risk of threatening flight safety.
The Southern Flight Management Company emphasized that ensuring flight safety is the highest priority, and at the same time, the coordination of functional agencies, operating units and community compliance awareness are needed.
