A pilots’ union has said “more needs to be done” to tackle the growing use of lasers against aircraft after a New York-bound plane had to turn back to Heathrow.
The Virgin Atlantic flight returned to the west London airport as a “precautionary measure” after the co-pilot reported feeling unwell following the incident on Sunday.
In 2010, a law was passed in the UK which allows offenders to be charged with “shining a light at an aircraft in flight so as to dazzle or distract the pilot”. If the distraction or dazzle is serious, a person may be found guilty of “reckless endangerment” and sent to prison.
According to the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa), a laser can result in temporary vision loss associated with flash blindness, a “visual interference that persists after the source of illumination has been removed”, an after-image, an “image left in the visual field after exposure to a bright light”, and glare.
Balpa general secretary Jim McAuslan said: “This is not an isolated incident. Aircraft are attacked with lasers at an alarming rate and with lasers with ever-increasing strength.
Between 2009 and June 2015, more than 8,998 laser incidents across the country were reported to the UK Civil Aviation Authority.
Topping the list for the number of laser incidents for the first six months of last year was London Heathrow, with a total of 48.