Drone sighting delays 16 flights at Hanoi airport

Some 16 flights at Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport were delayed for roughly an hour after a drone was spotted in the vicinity.

At 10:11 a.m. on Saturday, an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) was spotted flying toward a plane bound for Cam Ranh while it was about 4,700 feet above the ground and approximately 8 kilometers from Noi Bai Airport, according to the Northern Airports Authority.

The sighting, reported by the flight crew, prompted authorities to suspend departures at the airport from 10:15 a.m. while they investigated the incident. Arrivals continued as usual.

The disruption affected 16 flights, including seven operated by Vietnam Airlines, one by Bamboo Airways, five by Vietjet Air and three by foreign carriers.

By 11:13 a.m., authorities confirmed that the drone was no longer present in the vicinity of the airport, allowing operations to resume.

Aviation authorities are working with local police to inspect the area, identify the origin and operator of the drone, and ramp up efforts to raise public awareness on aviation safety regulations.

A plane seen at Noi Bai International Airport, Hanoi. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

In recent months, multiple cases involving drones and other flying objects near airports have disrupted flight operations.

One incident in March caused a four-hour disruption at Hai Phong's Cat Bi International Airport and forced four flights to divert to Noi Bai Airport.

In February, Da Nang International Airport also recorded several cases of drones appearing along flight paths and affecting operations.

Authorities said drones can collide with aircraft and pose a threat to aviation safety. The presence of drones in operational airspace might force planes to change takeoff and landing procedures or divert to other airports.