Following a series of unauthorized Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) entering takeoff and landing zones at Da Nang International Airport, causing numerous flights to delay or divert, the Ministry of Construction (MoC) has called for strengthened control and strict penalties for activities threatening aviation safety and security.
The MoC has dispatched an official document to the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Public Security, and the People’s Committees of provinces and cities housing airports. The directive aims to prevent UAVs from compromising the security and safety of flight operations at airports and airfields.
According to reports from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV), between September 2025 and February 2026, the vicinity of Da Nang International Airport recorded multiple instances of UAVs intruding into airspace for aircraft takeoff, approach, and landing.
These UAVs were detected operating at altitudes ranging from 1,000 to 3,800 feet. Consequently, many flights were forced to enter holding patterns, suspend operations, change takeoff/landing runways, or divert to alternate airports. These disruptions have caused significant economic losses and created potential risks of mid-air collisions, directly threatening civil aviation safety.
Vice Minister of Construction Le Anh Tuan noted that these recurring and increasingly complex incidents indicate that current measures to control and prevent illegal UAV activity near airports have not been fully effective. This poses serious risks to both flight safety and national security, particularly during the peak travel period of the Lunar New Year.
To proactively mitigate these security threats, the MoC requested that the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Public Security, and local Anti-Terrorism Steering Committees direct relevant agencies to enhance the management, inspection, and supervision of UAVs and other flight vehicles. All activities must strictly comply with Decree No. 288/2025/NĐ-CP of the Government and other relevant legal regulations.
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