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The disruption was detected at around 7:47 p.m. over Tay Thanh Ward in Tan Phu District that borders the airport grounds. The three kites were flying around 2.5 km away from the airport at an altitude of about 400 meters, directly along the airport's flight approach path.
The flashing-light kites seized by authorities on the evening of Aug. 13, 2026. Video by Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation
In response, the Air Traffic Flow Coordination Center temporarily restricted flights heading to Tan Son Nhat.
A total of 21 flights were affected. Several aircraft already en route from Pleiku, Da Nang, and Cam Ranh in central Vietnam were instructed to enter holding patterns in suitable areas to ensure safety.
Four flights at Tan Son Nhat had to delay takeoff while one heading to the airport had to land in Cam Ranh.
The incident lasted for more than 10 minutes. Authorities coordinated with local military units to address the airspace violations, allowing normal airport operations to resume shortly after.
Flight SPQ983 from Da Nang to HCMC had to circle before landing, arriving one hour later than scheduled no Aug. 13, 2026. Video by FlightAware
Located about 8 kilometers north of downtown Ho Chi Minh City, Tan Son Nhat features three terminals with a combined capacity of around 50 million passengers a year.
Because it is surrounded by dense urban areas, flight operations are frequently affected by UAVs, kites, and laser beams.
Tan Son Nhat handled more than 42.4 million passengers on 255,376 flights in 2025, the most of any airport in Vietnam. Traffic there peaked at over 177,000 passengers on 1,069 flights on Feb. 22 this year, the busiest day in the airport's history.
The HCMC airport is not the only in Vietnam facing issues with unauthorized flying objects. In June, a UAV was spotted near Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, affecting 16 flights and causing departure delays.
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| Authorities in HCMC have installed warning signs urging residents not to shine laser beams, fly kites or operate UAVs near Tan Son Nhat's approach path. Photo by VnExpress/Dinh Van |
Earlier in March, a UAV appeared near the approach area of Cat Bi International Airport in Hai Phong. This disrupted operations for about four hours and forced four flights to divert to Noi Bai.
Da Nang International Airport has also recorded several incidents involving UAVs near its flight paths.
Under Vietnam's reguations, ndividuals who fly kites or operate UAVs, including drones and camera-equipped drones, in restricted airspace and disrupt aviation operations face fines of up to VND40 million (US$1,520).
