The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Feb. 4 released 2021 laser strike numbers showing a 41% increase from the previous year.
High-powered lasers can cause serious harm by incapacitating pilots and putting cabins with hundreds of people at risk of crashing, according to an FAA release.
The release also states that since 2010, there have been 244 reported injuries due to “laser strikes".
“The FAA continues to educate the public about the hazards of laser strikes because they pose such a serious threat to the safety of the pilot, the passengers and everyone in the vicinity of the aircraft,” FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said, according to the release.
According to the release, violators face criminal penalties from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies as well as an $11,000 fine from the FAA per incident.
"People who shine lasers at aircraft face FAA fines of up to $11,000 per violation and up to $30,800 for multiple laser incidents," the release reads. "The FAA issued $120,000 in fines for laser strikes in 2021. Violators can also face criminal penalties from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies."
According to trends, to pinpoint violators, the FAA developed software that shows laser strike trends based on time of day, time of year, state, etc.
