So far, 27 instances of laser beam interference reported at Chennai airport this year
Flights landing at Chennai airport have faced laser light interference 27 times so far this year, with the latest instance occurring on Tuesday (June 10, 2025).
Around 1 a.m. on Tuesday, when an Air India Express flight from Pune was approaching the city, a white laser beam struck the aircraft. Officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said the incident occurred when the flight was nearly three nautical miles from touchdown. The pilot informed Air Traffic Control (ATC), and a complaint was also filed in this regard at the Airport police station. The flights arriving after that did not face any such interference.
A few weeks ago, Emirates and Gulf Air flights encountered laser beam interferences, taking the number of incidents to 27 till June 2025, when compared to 65 incidents last year. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), in its National Aviation Safety Plan 2024-28, said: 'Laser interference during critical phases of flight poses a significant hazard and can jeopardize the safety of the aircraft. It can cause distractions, temporary blindness, and startle response in the pilot.'
AAI officials said if the information about laser beam interferences was reported immediately by pilots, then it would be easier to trace the offenders. Though some are reported immediately, pilots sometimes file a report only after they return to their bases. It is already too late by this time, officials said. They held an extensive meeting in this regard with the members of the Greater Chennai Police, the DGCA, airline operators, and ATC. They had also asked the DGCA if laser lights could be banned to prevent such incidents.
'Since air traffic controllers communicate with pilots, we have requested them to ask pilots for more information that may assist in locating the spot from where the laser was fired. The police asked for zones where past incidents occurred to keep a heightened vigil. When pilots and air traffic controllers give us information to determine the precise location of the laser beam, it will become possible to locate those responsible,' an official said.
The AAI reiterated that they had been constantly taking measures to raise awareness on laser light interference among the public, giving away pamphlets about the hazards of laser lights and the danger it poses to flights approaching the airport.
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