Partners and Programs:
  • BARS
  • GSIP
  • SKYbrary
  • ASN
  • Contact Us
  • Members' Center
  • Login
  • Support Aviation Safety

  • Industry Updates
  • The Foundation
    • About the Foundation
    • Founders
    • Mission
    • History
    • Leadership
    • Officers and Staff
    • Media/Communications
    • Aviation Award & Scholarship Programs
    • Work with Us
    • Join Us
  • Events
  • AeroSafety World
  • Toolkits & Resources
    • COVID-19 Crisis Resources
    • Fatigue Management
    • Flight Path Monitoring
    • Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Excursions (GAPPRE)
    • Go-Around Project
    • Learning From All Operations
    • Past Safety Initiatives
    • Pilot Training and Competency
    • Podcasts
    • Special Reports
    • Unreliable Airspeed
  • Industry Updates
  • The Foundation
    • About the Foundation
    • Founders
    • Mission
    • History
    • Leadership
    • Officers and Staff
    • Media/Communications
    • Aviation Award & Scholarship Programs
    • Work with Us
    • Join Us
  • Events
  • AeroSafety World
  • Toolkits & Resources
    • COVID-19 Crisis Resources
    • Fatigue Management
    • Flight Path Monitoring
    • Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Excursions (GAPPRE)
    • Go-Around Project
    • Learning From All Operations
    • Past Safety Initiatives
    • Pilot Training and Competency
    • Podcasts
    • Special Reports
    • Unreliable Airspeed
  • Contact Us
  • Members' Center
  • Login
  • Support Aviation Safety
Partners and Programs:
  • BARS
  • GSIP
  • SKYbrary
  • ASN

FLIGHT SAFETY FOUNDATION HEADQUARTERS

701 N. Fairfax Street, Suite 250,
Alexandria, Virginia 22314

Phone: +1 703 739 6700 Fax: +1 703 739 6708

  • Aviation Safety Experts
  • Industry Updates
  • Decline Reported in U.K. Laser Strikes

News, Threat Analysis

Decline Reported in U.K. Laser Strikes

Power of lasers worries pilots.

by FSF Editorial Staff | March 1, 2017

Some 1,258 incidents involving laser strikes on aircraft were reported to the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in 2016, down 12.6 percent from the previous year and down 34.4 percent from the record high, set in 2011. The 2016 total represented the second consecutive year of declining numbers, the CAA said.

More laser strikes (151) were reported at Heathrow Airport in London than any other airport in the U.K. Heathrow was trailed by airports in Glasgow, Scotland (83 laser strikes), Birmingham, England (73), and Manchester, England (72).

Data showed that U.K. operators reported an additional 274 laser strikes on aircraft overseas in 2016, down from 355 reported laser incidents the previous year.

Steve Landells, a British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) flight safety specialist, said that the declining number of incidents may be a result of an ongoing effort to educate the public about the dangers of laser strikes. Despite the decline in reported incidents, the number of laser strikes on aircraft remains “dangerously high,” BALPA said.

Landells added, “The power of these devices is increasing and we’re concerned that, if left to escalate without significant intervention, we could see a serious incident happen in the near future. … BALPA wants to see these people stopped before they commit this reckless act.”

Share:

Print:

Key Safety Issues

  • Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)
  • Loss of Control–In Flight (LOC-I)
  • Mechanical Issues
  • Runway Safety (approach and landing)
  • Sabotage/Intentional Acts
  • Midair Collisions (MAC)
  • Runway Safety (Conflicts)
  • Wildlife Issues
  • Fatigue
  • Cabin Safety
  • Emerging Safety Issues
    • Lithium Batteries
    • Safety Information Sharing and Protection
    • Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Related Content

Helicopter Safety, Laser Strikes, News, Unmanned Aircraft

Safety News in Brief

FAA Plans Field Tests for Drone Traffic Management

by FSF Editorial Staff

Flight Deck, News

A Striking Increase

Reported laser strikes against U.S. aircraft climbed in 2020, FAA data show.

by FSF Editorial Staff

News, laser strikes

FAA: Don’t Aim Holiday Laser-Light Displays Toward Sky

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued its annual warning against aiming holiday laser-light displays toward the sky. In a statement issued earlier this month, the FAA cautioned that…

by FSF Editorial Staff

Read more articles

701 N. Fairfax Street, Suite 250, Alexandria, Virginia 22314

Phone: +1 703 739 6700 Fax: +1 703 739 6708

Flight Safety Foundation on Twitter

For nearly one minute, an Embraer 190’s transponder falsely indicated that the airplane had lifted off, leading ATC… https://t.co/n7Tm2DDHC8

July 1, 2022

Follow @flightsafety

Projects & Partners

  • Basic Aviation Risk Standard
  • Global Safety Information Project
  • SKYbrary
  • Aviation Safety Network
  • Donate
  • Advertise on our website
  • Sponsor & Exhibit at our Events
  • Work with Us
  • Contact Us
  • Site Map
  • Privacy

© 2022 Flight Safety Foundation

Join our group on LinkedIn