HCM CITY — Several flights to and from Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in HCM City were disrupted on Tuesday after unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were detected in the airport area, prompting air traffic controllers to temporarily suspend take-offs and landings.

The airport resumed normal operations at 8:34pm the same day, according to Nguyễn Công Hoàn, Deputy Director of Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport.

Hoàn said the airport's duty chief received information from the air traffic control tower at 6:16pm about a UAV sighting.

At 6:14pm, B777-DAALQ operating flight 3S621 from HCM City to Hà Nội had taken off from runway 25L. The aircraft subsequently reported seeing a drone about 500m to its right at an altitude of 1,800 feet.

The control tower had also received information that Vietjet flight VJ601 from Cam Ranh to HCM City, which landed on runway 25L at 5:38pm, had detected a drone about 10 miles away at an altitude of 3,000 feet.

In response, at 6:28pm the control tower ordered a temporary suspension of all arrivals and departures under the airport's contingency plan for airspace violations.

At that time, several departing flights were waiting for take-off, including VJ805, VJ262, VN1186, VN609, VN218 and VN1374. Incoming flights affected included SQ186, VJ853, VN1423, VN525, VJ489, VN7393, MH766 and BL6441.

Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport activated its UAV response plan. By 7:16pm, the control tower and the Southern Airports Authority had cleared the airport to resume normal take-offs and landings.

However, at 7:40pm, the control tower received information from the relevant air traffic control centre that a UAV had been detected moving in a west-southwesterly direction. Take-offs and landings were therefore suspended again, and the airport reactivated its UAV response plan.

Normal flight operations resumed at 8:34pm, Hoàn said.

The incident temporarily disrupted flight operations at one of Việt Nam's busiest airports during the evening peak period. Authorities are continuing to follow aviation safety procedures in response to the UAV sightings.

The incident temporarily disrupted flight operations at one of Việt Nam's busiest airports during the evening peak period. Authorities are continuing to follow aviation safety procedures in response to the UAV sightings.

Earlier, in early June, a series of suspected unmanned aerial vehicles and other aircraft were also detected in the vicinity of Nội Bài International Airport in Hà Nội City and Cát Bi International Airport in Hải Phòng City, directly affecting flight operations. — VNS