Unauthorised drones caused major disruptions at Danang International Airport during the Lunar New Year, delaying dozens of flights and raising safety concerns.

HANOI: Unauthorised drone activity severely disrupted operations at Vietnam’s Danang International Airport during the busy Lunar New Year holiday period, according to state media reports.

The Thanh Nien newspaper reported that two separate incidents last week forced flights into holding patterns or caused significant delays after authorities detected drones flying dangerously close to aircraft.

While the identity of the drone operators and the precise proximity to aircraft remain unclear, the incursions resulted in a total of 54 delayed flights, the paper cited airport authorities as stating.

Danang airport officials had not responded to a request for comment from AFP at the time of the report.

Vietnam strictly prohibits the private use of unmanned aerial vehicles and high-intensity lighting in the vicinity of airports under national regulations.

As the primary aviation hub for Vietnam’s central regions, Danang airport typically handles more than 300 flights daily during peak holiday seasons like Tet.

 The Sun Malaysia