The figures were reported at a September 10 aviation safety conference, where police and military representatives discussed hundreds of UAV incidents around Tan Son Nhat International Airport and other no-fly zones in HCM City.
Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Truong Long, deputy head of Tan Son Nhat International Airport Border Gate Police, said 227 UAVs were detected illegally flying in no-fly zones between August 27 and September 8, mostly below 80 metres, with many operators unaware of the restrictions.
Police investigated 40 cases involving 64 people and seized 88 UAVs. They uncovered a service that modified drones to bypass built-in no-fly restrictions for domestic and foreign customers.
Police identified a person in Tan Vinh Loc Commune who offered services to modify drone batteries for longer flight times and unlock built-in no-fly restrictions.
The modified drones could reportedly fly thousands of metres high and enter areas blocked by manufacturers' software.
Police expanded the investigation, identifying five more people and seizing 31 UAVs. They also found two 12th-grade students selling drones for commission and seized 14 devices they had bought through Facebook groups for resale without invoices.
Calls for closer coordination on drone incidents
At the conference, HCM City police raised concerns about overlapping procedures between police and military forces in handling illegal UAV operations, as both have separate protocols introduced in 2026.
Lieutenant Colonel Vo Nhan Tiep, deputy commander of Air Defence Division 367, called for better information-sharing, a hotline and joint drills, as well as AI-powered surveillance cameras to detect drones earlier.
Participants agreed that public awareness and prevention were crucial, calling for clearer maps showing no-fly and restricted zones down to ward and commune level around the airport.
Warning signs banning drones and kite flying should also be installed at public areas near flight paths, including parks, embankments and vacant land.
Measures to protect airspace safety
According to Tran Doan Mau, director of the Southern Airports Authority, in the first nine months of the year, Tan Son Nhat Interational Airport recorded 32 aviation safety incidents, including 13 involving lasers, eight kites, four balloons and three UAVs.
On August 11, two flight crews spotted UAVs at altitudes of 1,800-3,000 feet in the airport's approach and departure paths. Kite flying near the airport also disrupted air traffic on August 13.
The Southern Airports Authority said it would report problems involving enforcement powers and penalties to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam and seek tighter coordination between police and military forces.
Airlines face losses from drone incidents
Vo Thanh Hai, head of safety and quality at Vietnam Airlines' Flight Crew Division 919, said pilots faced serious risks from laser beams and drones.
High-powered lasers can temporarily blind pilots for three to five seconds, while the August 11 drone incident forced four flights to declare fuel emergencies.
Aircraft can hold only briefly when a runway is temporarily closed before having to divert, while alternative airports such as Can Tho have limited apron capacity.
Vietnam Airlines estimated its preliminary losses from the August 11 drone incident at VND 6.6 billion (USD 252,000), excluding disruption to the travel plans of tens of thousands of passengers.
