Planes face kites, lanterns during takeoff and landing

A representative from Noi Bai said crew members of four planes reported the presence of kites and lanterns in the sky above the tarmac on September 23.

Police later verified that people were throwing a Mid-Autumn Festival party in Thanh Xuan Commune, Soc Son District, a neighborhood that borders the airport to the west. Lanterns were released into the sky as part of the party, police said.

Meanwhile, to the east of the runway in the capital’s Xuan Non Commune, Dong Anh District, some children were flying kites, police added.

"Lanterns and kites entering the runway area may collide with planes, endangering the pilots and passengers. Regarding the aforementioned cases, as pilots were able to detect them early and inform ground control to deal with them, the flights were not affected," an airport representative said.

Operations at Noi Bai Airport have also recently been affected by lasers and high-capacity lights coming from several areas of Hanoi, Bac Ninh and Vinh Phuc. Since the beginning of the year, the airport has seen three cases of obstruction due to straw fires, seven cases of lasers being shone, and 10 cases of kites and balloons in the sky, potentially endangering flights.

Noi Bai Airport, the Northern Airports Authority and local authorities have encouraged people and organizations around the airports against shining lasers, as well as informing them about the dangers of flying objects. However, such incidents have persisted during festivals and holidays.