On the evening of August 11, an unauthorized UAV incursion into the airspace of Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City resulted in the disruption of more than 100 flights, impacting tens of thousands of passengers. Preliminary reports from airlines indicated that Vietnam Airlines alone had approximately 64 flights affected, which involved over 10,000 domestic travelers. Among these, 15 flights were from other airports to Ho Chi Minh City, and another 15 flights were headed in the opposite direction, all of which had to temporarily halt their schedules.

Furthermore, around 14 flights were forced to either circle or divert to alternate airports while the situation was being managed. The incident continued to have a cascading effect, impacting about 20 additional flights from the night of August 11 into the morning of August 12. Passengers were left waiting as flights were delayed due to the UAV incursion.

In addition to Vietnam Airlines, other airlines such as Vietjet and Sun Group also reported around 26 flights affected, involving thousands of passengers. The Tan Son Nhat Airport's Air Traffic Control Center recorded a total of 73 flights that were directly impacted during the more than two hours of the UAV incident, not accounting for the subsequent ripple effects.

Earlier that day, at approximately 5:34 PM, the control tower received a report from the crew of Vietjet flight VJ601, traveling from Cam Ranh to Ho Chi Minh City, about the sighting of a UAV as the aircraft was preparing to land. The UAV was detected about 10 miles (over 16 kilometers) from the airport at an altitude of 3,000 feet (approximately 900 meters). Shortly after, another UAV was reported at a lower altitude of about 1,800 feet (nearly 550 meters). In response to ensure safety, the airport activated its emergency protocols, halting all takeoff and landing operations.

Operations were resumed at 7:16 PM, but by 7:34 PM, the control tower received another report of a UAV appearing from the west-southwest of the airport, possibly over the areas of Binh Chanh, Hoc Mon, or the old Cu Chi district. This prompted Tan Son Nhat Airport to once again suspend all incoming and outgoing flights.

According to the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM), this incident marks the first time a UAV has intruded into the restricted airspace of Tan Son Nhat Airport. Upon detecting the UAV for the first time around 6:25 PM, air traffic controllers immediately implemented emergency measures, halting flights from other airports to Tan Son Nhat and grounding aircraft while rearranging departure sequences. Following the second UAV sighting, the safety management area was expanded to include multiple airports, both domestic and international.

Tan Son Nhat Airport, being the busiest in the country, has three terminals and plays a crucial role in Vietnam's air travel infrastructure.