Hanoi (VNA) - PrimeMinister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has issued a decision stipulating the no-fly andrestricted zones to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and ultra-light aircraft.

Under Decision 18/2020/QD-TTg, the no-fly zones are national defence andsecurity areas under the management and protection of the Ministry of Defenceand Ministry of Public Security.

These include military stations, areas for deploying forces, combat equipmentand training, warehouses, factories, logistic bases, prisons and detentioncamps of the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Public Security, and otherareas related to the national security, the decision said.

The distance from the UAVs and ultra-light aircraft to the no-fly zoneshorizontally must not be less than 500m at any height.

The vehicles are banned from flying over working areas of offices of Party,State, National Assembly, Government, ministries and central-level agencies,the Vietnam Fatherland Front, provincial and city-level Party committees,people’s committees and councils, diplomatic and consular missions, andinternational organisations.

The limit distance horizontally to the areas is no less than 200m at any height.

The areas of military and civil airports were noted as the no-fly zones. Theno-fly zones extend by 15,000m and 5,000m from two sides of rectangular shapesof the runways at any height.

Airports which have less than six civil flights per day canflexibly adjust the no-fly zones at their discretion.

However, drones and ultra-light aircraft will not be allowed to fly withinthe boundaries of airports and in the time before and after one hour of theairplanes landing and taking off.

The vehicles can only fly withthe permissions of military flight control and management agencies at theairports.

The no-fly zones are also the areas within the limits of airroutes, flight trails and corridors that were licensed in the airspace of Vietnam,the limited scope of air routes stated in the Aeronautical InformationPublication (AIP) Vietnam published by the Civil Aviation Administration ofVietnam.

The PM’s decision states that in special cases of national defence and securityor at the requests of ministries, branches and localities to ensure flightsafety and social order, the Ministry of Defence shall decide to temporarilyprohibit from flying to unmanned aircraft in one or some areas. The decisionwill take effect immediately.

The PM’s decision also regulates restricted flying zones to drones andultra-light flying vehicles including airspace over 120m above the terrain(excluding airspace of the above-mentioned no-fly zones), crowded areas and theborder areas.

The limited distance in the land border with China is 25,000m from border lineto the land of Vietnam at all heights while the limited distance in land borderbetween Vietnam and Laos and Cambodia is 10,000m.

The limited distances are 3,000m in width and 5,000m in length from the no-flyzones at airports having military and civil flights. And the heights are lessthan 1,200m above the terrain.

The organisation of flights of drones and ultra-light aircraft inrestricted flying areas must meet requirements of flight licensing authorities,the decision said./.