Heightened public awareness of the serious safety risk posed by lasers reduced the total number of laser strikes for the second consecutive year, according to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The FAA reported 5,663 laser incidents in 2018, down from 6,754 in 2017 and 7,398 in 2016.
However, the FAA said that the substantial number of reported incidents clearly show that laser strikes on aircraft “remain a serious threat to aviation safety”.
The FAA added that agency and law enforcement agencies are working hard to increase public awareness of the dangers posed by lasers in airspaces.
For more information about lasers see the FAA’s fact sheet here.
