It received 13,304 reports from pilots last year, a 41 pc increase over 2022
Dangerous laser strikes against aircraft topped all previous records in 2023, says the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the aviation regulator of the United States.
In a press statement, FAA says that it received 13,304 reports from pilots last year, a 41 pc increase over 2022.
FAA warns that shining a laser at an aircraft is a serious safety threat. Many types of high-powered lasers can incapacitate pilots, many of whom are flying airplanes with hundreds of passengers. Pilots have reported 313 injuries since the FAA began recording data on laser strikes in 2010, says the regulator.
Michael Whitaker
“The FAA is committed to maintaining the safest air transportation system in the world. Aiming a laser at an aircraft is a serious safety hazard that puts everyone on the plane and on the ground at risk,” says FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker.
FAA cautions that people who shine lasers at aircraft face fines of up to USD 11,000 per violation and up to USD 30,800 for multiple laser incidents. Violators can also face criminal penalties from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in the United States.
“Like many crimes, there’s a need for education, outreach, and cooperation from the public to address this safety risk. We encourage you to report laser strikes to the FAA via our website or to your local law enforcement agency,” says Whitaker.
To help airlines and aircraft crew identify laser-strike trends, the FAA’s has also released a visualisation tool that shows laser-strike data from 2010 to 2023 and highlights trends by geographic area, per capita data, time of day and year. The FAA says it has shared the information to draw attention to the dangerously high rate. FAA says that the easy availability of increasingly powerful lasers is one of the reasons behind the rising incidents.
It has also released the laser strike data by year and region on its website. It has urged the public to immediately alert the FAA and local law enforcement agencies about laser strikes that they are aware of.
"
