Danang International Airport on February 28 sent a letter of appreciation to the city’s police chief for directing efforts to trace and handle unauthorised unmanned aerial vehicles operating in restricted airspace and threatening aviation safety.
Between February 17 and 24, during the Lunar New Year holiday, six drone incursions were recorded in take-off and landing corridors, affecting 83 flights. Aircraft were forced to enter holding patterns, delay departures, adjust procedures or divert to alternate airports.
On February 17, two drones entered operational airspace, directly disrupting 30 flights. Another incident on February 22 affected 19 flights.
Authorities said the violations posed a serious threat to civil aviation safety, caused economic losses and damaged the reputations of the airport and airlines, as well as Danang’s image as a tourist destination.
After receiving reports, specialised police units launched investigations to prevent further breaches. Seven individuals were found to have operated drones illegally, and related equipment was seized.
Separately, on February 26, military authorities in An Hai ward handled two foreign nationals for flying drones unlawfully. On February 24, the Danang Military Command detected and impounded a drone that had entered restricted airspace over the coastal Nguyen Tat Thanh area.
Airport operations have since returned to normal. Authorities have called for a thorough investigation and strict penalties to prevent similar incidents.
