US authorities have called for an end to the dangerous practice of shining lasers at aeroplanes, following a record number of incidents reported by pilots in 2023.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has revealed that planes were targeted on over 13,000 occasions in 2023, marking a 41% increase on the previous year and, a record high.
“A laser can temporarily blind a pilot or cause severe eye injury, and the FAA takes this threat very seriously,” the head of the federal agency, Michael Whitaker, explained in a video.
Individuals caught engaging in such acts face FAA fines of up to $30,000 or more for multiple incidents, in addition to potential criminal charges at both federal and local levels.
Most incidents take place at night, during take-offs and landings. The surge in such acts has been attributed to the increased availability of lasers for purchase online, their growing power, and the emergence of green lasers, which are easier to spot.
Pilots have also been encouraged to report such incidents, which partly explains the sharp increase.
Lasers can cause significant retinal damage. Pilots in the United States have reported 313 eye injuries since the FAA began compiling statistics on the issue in 2010.
