Laser strikes against aircraft including airline planes have surged to a new record, the FAA says
ABC News
Laser strikes aimed at aircraft are at an all-time high
WASHINGTON -- Laser strikes aimed at aircraft including airline planes surged 41% last year to a record high, according to federal officials.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday that it received 13,304 reports from pilots about laser strikes last year, erasing a record set in 2021.
“Aiming a laser at an aircraft is a serious safety hazard that puts everyone on the plane and on the ground at risk,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a video posted by the agency.
The FAA said pilots have reported 313 injuries since the agency started keeping records in 2010.
Each of the last five months of 2023 surpassed the previous high month, November 2021. The full-year rise over 2022 numbers easily topped the 28% increase in reported incidents from 2016 to 2022.
