There have been nearly 200 reported incidents of lasers being shone at aircraft in South Africa over the last two years, the Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) Company of South Africa has reported. It warns that such laser attacks could lead to serious accidents.
ATNS noted that from January 1, 2010 until February 29, 2012, there have been 181 reported laser attacks at some of South Africa’s major airports.
Cape Town International Airport has had the highest number of reported events, with 106 (or 58.56%) incidents, followed by Lanseria Airport at 21 (or 11.06%) of incidents. OR Tambo International and East London Airports are joint third with 14 (or 7.73%) reported incidents each.
Notable incidents generally involve people directing powerful laser beams at aircraft on final approach, ATNS said. Other low-flying aircraft such as police and ambulance or rescue helicopters are also targeted at times. There have also been incidents where lasers were directed at air traffic control towers.
The fact that these lasers can startle the crew during the critical phase of flight (at the time when everyone has to be buckled in, all electronic devices off, and the cabin lights dimmed to allow for better visibility outside) makes these events serious. In the event that a pilot loses control of the aircraft momentarily due to being blinded by these lights, this could lead to a serious aircraft accident, ATNS warned.
To date there have been no prosecutions for shining lasers at aircraft. However, in the period under review, there have been two notable arrests. The first was during the Soccer World Cup in 2010 at a Fan Park in Durban, KwaZulu Natal. Currently, there is a pending case in the Bloemfontein Courts. Two people were arrested during the ANC Centenary celebrations for shining lasers at aircraft.
An Aviation Security Committee comprising of ATNS, the South African Civil Aviation Authority, Airports Company of South Africa, South African Air Force and the South African Police Service is working on identifying possible mitigation actions, which will include raising awareness, to address these concerns. Additionally, legislative considerations are being looked into, where punitive measures and/or sanctions are to be reviewed and strengthened.
In October 2011 a Seminar on Laser Interference in Aviation, hosted by Eurocontrol, was held in Belgium, Brussels. Various aviation organizations, such as the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), air traffic controllers, state aviation authorities, airline operators and associations, pilot associations, airport authorities and security managers, law enforcement agencies, legal experts, laser specialists and manufacturers, and medical experts attended.
The objective of the seminar was to bring all stakeholder groups with a vested interest in this issue, to consider adopting a collective approach to reducing the growing threat of unauthorized laser interference in aviation. The seminar also looked into raising awareness; quantifying the degree of laser interference in aviation; exchanging knowledge; concerns and best practices in dealing with the issue and considering how communities can identify possible mitigation actions on both national and international levels.
Current applicable legislation requires that all owners of laser devices to have a permit for them. In South Africa, illegal laser pointers are imported without permits and are sold on the black/grey markets such as trinket stores or flea markets.
ATNS urged people not to buy these devices and to report the selling of them to the police.
