The Ministry of Construction has urged stronger measures to control and prevent illegal drone activity near airports. VNA/VNS Photo

ĐÀ NẴNG — The Ministry of Construction has urged stronger measures to control and prevent illegal drone activity near airports after repeated flycam and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) intrusions disrupted flight operations at Đà Nẵng International Airport, posing serious risks to aviation safety and national security.

In an official dispatch sent to the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Public Security and anti-terrorism steering committees in the cities and provinces, the ministry called for urgent efforts to strengthen oversight, inspection and monitoring of UAV and other aerial device operations at airports nationwide to ensure absolute flight safety and national security.

The request follows multiple incidents in which flycams and drones were detected entering restricted airspace used for aircraft take-offs and landings at Đà Nẵng International Airport. These intrusions forced numerous flights to delay departures, alter runway operations or divert to alternate airports, causing significant economic losses and directly threatening civil aviation safety.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Việt Nam, between September 2025 and February 2026 multiple UAV intrusions were recorded in areas adjacent to the airport. The devices were detected at altitudes ranging from 1,000 to 3,800 feet within airspace critical to flight operations.

On February 17, the first day of the Lunar New Year, two UAV incidents disrupted operations, forcing 17 flights to enter holding patterns, diverting one flight to an alternate airport and delaying 15 departures.

Just five days later, on February 22, another UAV incident and one suspected UAV or balloon sighting caused 18 flights to circle in holding patterns, four flights to divert and 14 departures to be delayed.

Most recently, on the afternoon of February 24, authorities detected a flycam operating illegally within restricted airspace above Nguyễn Tất Thành coastal road in Đà Nẵng City. The operator, a 36-year-old resident in Hòa Khánh Ward, had flown the device into a prohibited zone.

Authorities determined he had repeatedly conducted illegal flycam flights over several consecutive days, particularly during the Lunar New Year period, posing a direct threat to aviation safety at the airport.

The Đà Nẵng Military Command confiscated the device and issued warnings, educating the man on the seriousness of the violation.

In its report, the Ministry of Construction warned that such incidents are recurring and increasingly complex, exposing weaknesses in current UAV control and prevention measures near airports. These risks were especially pronounced during the peak travel period of the 2026 Lunar New Year holiday.

The ministry called on relevant agencies and local authorities to strengthen surveillance, inspection and enforcement against illegal drone operations.

It also urged Đà Nẵng’s anti-terrorism steering committee to direct police, military and aviation authorities to establish permanent inter-agency coordination mechanisms for monitoring, early warning and rapid response.

Authorities were instructed to clearly define responsible focal points, intensify patrols and inspections, and strictly penalise violators. The ministry also recommended considering preventive countermeasures capable of detecting and stopping unauthorised UAVs before they enter restricted airspace. — VNS