A plane completes baggage loading, preparing for takeoff at Da Nang International Airport, April 2025. Photo by Nguyen Dong
Three unauthorized drones forced dozens of flights into holding patterns above Da Nang International Airport during the Lunar New Year holiday, and Vietnam’s military and police are still tracking down who flew them.
Tran Quang Chanh, deputy commander of the Da Nang City Military Command, confirmed on Feb. 23 that authorities are actively tracing the operators of three suspected drones that entered restricted airspace on Feb. 17 and 22. Despite coordinating across multiple agencies, investigators have yet to identify either the devices or the people behind them.
The challenge is partly technical. Radar tracked the objects at distances of 26 to 30 kilometers from the landing threshold, and as close as 6 to 7 kilometers, at altitudes between 300 and 400 meters. At that range and height, visual identification is nearly impossible. Authorities haven’t even confirmed with certainty that the objects were drones, initial reports came from flight crews, and no physical evidence has been recovered.
The incidents caused significant disruption. On Feb. 17, the first day of the Lunar New Year, two separate intrusions grounded and delayed 30 flights, diverted aircraft, and forced planes to circle for up to 100 minutes. A third incident on Feb. 22, the final and busiest travel day of the holidays, suspended runway operations entirely, diverted four planes to alternate airports, and delayed nine departures. 54 flights were affected in total.
The Da Nang City Military Command has since deployed additional drone detection and suppression equipment around the airport perimeter and stepped up patrols in surrounding areas. City police and border guard forces are working jointly to gather evidence and narrow down the source of the intrusions.
Under Vietnamese regulations, unauthorized drone flights near airports carry fines of VND30-40 million (US$1,145-1,527) and confiscation of the device.
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