More drone detection systems proposed for airports in Vietnam

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, the Ministry of Construction recently sent a report to the Ministry of Public Security reviewing the implementation of aviation security regulations.

The report highlighted incidents involving unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, entering prohibited and restricted flight zones.

Unauthorized drone activity near airports poses a potential threat to aircraft safety, particularly during take-offs and landings.

Other airborne objects, including kites, illuminated kites, and sky lanterns, have also created challenges for aviation authorities in detecting and addressing potential hazards.

Several airports, including Cat Bi in northern Hai Phong City, Noi Bai in Hanoi, Da Nang in central Da Nang City, and Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City, have experienced disruptions caused by such incidents.

Flights have been forced to circle while awaiting clearance, divert to alternate airports or temporarily suspend departures.

In some cases, airport operations have been disrupted for up to four hours, affecting flight schedules and increasing operating costs for airlines.

To address the problem, the authority issued guidelines in April outlining procedures for receiving reports, verifying incidents, and handling unauthorized flying devices.

In August, relevant authorities and businesses further agreed on a coordination framework for detecting, responding to, and neutralizing drones at airports.

The Ministry of Construction said these measures had initially proved effective, with no recent recurrence of unauthorized drone activity reported within airport areas.

However, existing equipment for detecting and handling drones remains insufficient to meet operational demands.

Coordination among multiple agencies can sometimes prolong response times, while kite-flying and sky lantern activities near airports continue to pose risks.

Therefore, the ministry has hinted at increasing investment in long-range drone detection systems and equipment capable of neutralizing unauthorized drones.

It also called for more comprehensive coordination procedures among the relevant forces at each airport.

Vo Thanh Hai, head of the Safety and Quality Department under Vietnam Airlines' Flight Division 919, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper that unauthorized drones near airports could force aircraft to circle, perform go-arounds or divert to alternative landing locations, placing considerable pressure on flight crews.

The greatest concern involves aircraft already airborne, as their reserve fuel is limited, while the duration of an airport shutdown is difficult to predict.

If several flights are diverted simultaneously, alternate airports could face capacity constraints involving runways, parking stands, and ground-handling services.

Beyond improving drone detection and response capabilities, Hai said the aviation industry needed to prepare contingency plans for aircraft diversion and ensure that alternate airports had sufficient capacity to receive additional flights.

Such preparations would help prevent operational disruptions from escalating during emergencies.

Additional drone detection equipment for Tan Son Nhat, Noi Bai

To strengthen surveillance and early-warning capabilities, the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) has recently received two drone and foreign-object detection systems from the Ministry of Public Security, said ACV deputy general director To Tu Ha.

The equipment will be deployed to enhance monitoring and warning capabilities around Tan Son Nhat and Noi Bai International Airports.

Ha said the previous incidents at Tan Son Nhat had demonstrated that the speed of detection, verification, and response directly determined how long airport operations were disrupted.

On August 11, the airport was forced to suspend flight operations twice due to suspected drone activity, resulting in a combined disruption of nearly 60 minutes.

Two days later, three kites were detected in the airport area.

Authorities verified and dealt with the situation more quickly, limiting the disruption to some 13-14 minutes.

Once the objects had been retrieved, flight operations resumed almost immediately.