Unidentified Flying Object Near Cat Bi Airport Disrupts Three Flights

An unidentified luminous flying object sighted near Cat Bi International Airport in Hai Phong, a port city in northern Vietnam, disrupted three flights on the evening of September 2, 2024. According to the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM), at approximately 7:23 PM on September 2, the Cat Bi Airport Control Center received a report from the military about a luminous flying object detected about 8 km from the airport. The control team immediately notified the runway safety task force and relevant units, activating an operational plan to manage the situation. The incident directly affected three flights. Two inbound flights to Cat Bi had to hold at the HODOL point before requesting a diversion to Noi Bai International Airport. One flight preparing for departure from Cat Bi had its schedule postponed and had to wait at the apron to ensure absolute safety. The unauthorized operation of flycams, UAVs, or other self-flying objects near the runway poses significant risks to aviation safety, potentially leading to situations where aircraft may have to hold, reroute, or make an emergency landing at a diversion airport. Controllers at the Cat Bi Tower focused on monitoring and directing air traffic in the situation where a suspected UAV was detected near the airport. In response to this situation, it is an urgent requirement to strictly manage, detect, and severely punish acts of illegally flying flycams and UAVs in the vicinity of airports to ensure absolute aviation security. In March of this year, a kite flown by residents near the landing path of Cat Bi Airport forced four flights to divert to Noi Bai International Airport. Furthermore, on the evening of August 13, three people flying three kites with flashing lights that entered the safe corridor of Tan Son Nhat International Airport affected 21 flights. Source: VnExpress