New UK laws specifically criminalising the aiming of lasers at aircraft have come into force this month, as Civil Aviation Authority statistics show there were more than 700 such instances last year.
The new law - enshrined in article 222 of the Air Navigation Order 2009 - states that a person must not "direct or shine any light at any aircraft in flight, so as to dazzle or distract the pilot".
Offenders would previously be charged under a separate article concerning endangerment of an aircraft. The CAA believes the change, which came into effect on 1 January, will increase conviction rates.
The amendment is in response to increasing reports from pilots regarding the deliberate direction of laser light at aircraft near major airports.
"The chances of getting caught are increasing rapidly and, once caught, criminal charges are now inevitable," says CAA flight operations head Capt Bob Jones, adding that the authority pressed for a specific law in response to increasing offences involving laser light.
Of the 737 related events filed as mandatory occurrence reports last year, over 50 were recorded in the vicinity of Manchester Airport, around 40 each at Glasgow, Birmingham and Leeds-Bradford, and nearly 30 at London Heathrow.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
