Pilots and regulators report a worsening problem with lasers being pointed at aircraft. In the United States alone, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says the number of reported laser illuminations of aircraft each year has nearly doubled since 2020. According to FAA statistics, there were 13,304 laser illuminations reported in 2023. That’s a sharp jump from the 9,457 reported in 2022 and the 6,852 reported in 2020.
Authorities attribute the growing numbers of reports in part to the widespread availability of inexpensive laser pointers and the greater power of many laser beams, which has enabled them to strike aircraft at higher altitudes.
“The FAA is committed to maintaining the safest air transportation system in the world,” FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker said. “Aiming a laser at an aircraft is a serious safety hazard that puts everyone on t…
