In just about 10 days, functional forces discovered more than 200 UAVs operating in the no-fly zone and restricted area around Tan Son Nhat airport. Although most of the equipment was detected far from the airport, not directly affecting aviation operations, this situation shows that the risk of flight unsafety is becoming complicated. Functional forces have investigated and seized 88 devices and continue to verify the remaining cases.
The above information was released at the civil aviation safety assurance conference in Tan Son Nhat and surrounding areas on September 10.
Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Truong Long - Deputy Head of Tan Son Nhat Border Gate Police Station - said that cases related to UAVs have been quite common and complicated recently. Many cases use equipment for entertainment, business or because the operator does not clearly understand the regulations, does not know that the UAV is operating in a restricted area.
UAV detection and handling also face many difficulties because Tan Son Nhat airport is located in a densely populated urban area. The no-fly zone mainly passes through residential areas and high-rise buildings, while the radio wave density is high. Many UAVs only operate for a short time, so detecting and tracking operators is not easy.
According to Mr. Doan Van Minh - Deputy Head of Aviation Safety Supervision Department, Southern Airport Authority, cases related to UAVs, lasers, kite flying, fireworks... are becoming increasingly complicated. In 2024, units recorded 34 cases; in 2025, it increased to 43 cases. From the beginning of 2026 to September 4, 32 more cases were recorded. In total, for nearly 3 years, Tan Son Nhat and surrounding areas have experienced more than 100 cases related to objects and acts threatening flight safety.
Notably, on August 11 and 13, UAVs and lightning-mounted kites appeared in the area affecting flight operations, causing more than 100 flights and tens of thousands of passengers to be affected.
Mr. Minh said that the problem is not only in the number of cases increasing or decreasing, but also in the increasing diversity of risk sources. If laser projection and UAV cases emerge in 2024, then by 2026, more cases of kite flying, balloons, and fireworks will appear. Risk sources may appear unexpectedly while the time to react is very short.
Mr. Tran Doan Mau - Director of the Southern Airport Authority - said that Tan Son Nhat is an airport with a very high operating density, located in the densely populated urban area of Ho Chi Minh City. In 2025, the airport served more than 42 million passengers; in the first 8 months of this year, it received more than 180,000 flights and about 32 million passengers. With high operating intensity, any unusual factors appearing in the airspace approaching the airport can affect flight safety.
The Southern Airport Authority said that it will coordinate with relevant agencies to strengthen solutions, improve coordination mechanisms and fast processing procedures, in which clearly define the functions, authority and responsibilities of each unit.
At the conference, the Port Authority also announced a number of areas that need to strengthen the prevention of kite flying, UAVs, and fireworks such as Van Phuc City, Thanh Luong, Tay Thanh, Binh Hung Hoa, areas near AEON Mall Tan Phu, Thu Thiem bridge foot, The Global City, Thao Dien, areas near Tan Binh Industrial Park, Ho Da and Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City.
The unit proposed that Ho Chi Minh City promote propaganda in residential areas, schools, business establishments and event venues. For programs using lasers and high-power lamps, licensing agencies need to consider the location, projection direction, power and distance to the flight area.
