The Southern Airports Authority said in a civil aviation safety report that drone flights, kite-flying and the use of lasers and other high-powered lights around the airport remained a growing concern.
Based on reports from flight crews, air traffic controllers and other agencies, it identified several areas requiring tighter monitoring and preventive measures.
The hotspots include Thu Thiem, The Global City, Thao Dien, Van Phuc, Tham Luong, Tay Thanh and Binh Hung Hoa, as well as areas near AEON Mall Tan Phu, Nguyen Van Cong Street, Tan Binh Industrial Park and the lake area near Vietnam National University-HCM City.
Many are large, open spaces that attract people flying kites and operating drones, particularly in the late afternoon and evening.
The authority warned that drones and kites pose a serious threat to aviation because they can change direction and altitude unpredictably and may be difficult for pilots to detect in time.
Collisions could damage cockpit windscreens, wings, engine blades or other critical aircraft components. Objects sucked into an engine could also impair aircraft control and create potentially dangerous situations.
On Aug. 11, pilots of flights 3S621 and VJ601 spotted UAVs near Tan Son Nhat, disrupting air traffic. Two days later, kite-flying was detected affecting operations at the airport.
Such incidents can force aircraft to hold or divert, increase fuel consumption and cause knock-on delays while adding pressure on pilots and air traffic controllers.
HCM City police and the Ministry of Public Security's Immigration Department have recently deployed a specialised system to detect and suppress unauthorised UAVs around Tan Son Nhat.
The system covers the airport's no-fly and restricted-flight zones and can locate both UAVs and their operators, allowing police to identify and deal with violations.