Laser Strikes At An All Time High With No Signs Of Decreasing

New numbers from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) show that incidents of people striking aircraft with blinding lasers are on track for a new record this year.

The number of reported laser strikes climbed to 9,700 in 2021 from 6,852 in 2020, that’s a 41 percent rise and these numbers show no sign of decreasing, in Q1 2021 the FAA reported it had received 1,944 reports of laser strikes, in Q1 2022 it jumped to 2,275. Of those 9,700 reports in 2021, 47 pilots reported serious injuries caused by the strikes, these included temporary blindness and, in some cases, even lasting eye injuries. 

This is a serious issue affecting the aviation industry and shows no signs of slowing down as lasers continue to get cheaper. Strikes have also become a serious safety issue as they blind the aircraft’s pilots, these strikes most commonly occur while an aircraft is on approach to the airport in which it is critical for pilots to have visibility.

In Seattle, the FBI is now offering a $10,000 reward after a dramatic increase in laser incidents at Seattle-Tacoma airport in January, there were more than 100 strikes since January with 28 occurring in just three days.

While arrests are rare for this type of incident, the fines can be hefty with penalties up to $11,000 per violation.