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India: Private rooftop parties blamed for Kolkata laser illuminations of pilots

Private rooftop parties are being blamed for pilot-blinding laser incidents in Kolkata. The beams come from apartment buildings located along the flight path to the airport.

In 2016, there were problems with “clubs and party hubs.” The Airports Authority of India asked the to replace lasers with LEDs, and most complied.

The new problem seems to be private parties, which “are more difficult to track and act against.”

The chairman of the Airline Operator’s Committee said "We don't want to spoil the fun for anyone. The only message that needs to go out is that one shouldn't endanger the lives of others for a bit of fun. I am sure once there is awareness about threat to flights, there will be compliance.”

From a December 27 2017 article in the Times of India. See also a story about similar problems in Mumbai.

India: 24 laser incidents in eight months at Mumbai airport

From January until September 2017, there were 24 reports of lasers being aimed at aircraft flying to or from Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai.

In 2015 there were 24 laser reports in the entire year, and 15 reports during 2016.

In addition to the laser hazards, pilots also reported three drones and two sky lanterns during the first nine months of 2017.

Pilots report cases of laser attacks and lanterns to the Air Traffic Control (ATC), which conveys the information to the airport operator, who reports the incident to the local police. However, policemen said there is no specific law or government notification to deal with such cases.

A police official on condition of anonymity said, “In such complaints, we first find out the reason the light was flashed. If the laser light was coming from a wedding ceremony or any other function, then as a preventive action, we alert concerned people and sensitise them about its dangerous effects on aircraft. However, nothing can be done legally as there is no law under which we can produce anyone in court.”

From the Hindustan Times and Times of India. About a month later, Kolkata reported similar problems with rooftop parties using lasers under the flight path of aircraft.

India: Red lights thought impossible to be lasers

Indian aviation officials have doubts that a mysterious red light, being aimed at aircraft landing at Chennai Airport, is a laser. A spokesperson said it is “impossible to track an aircraft flying at high altitude using laser pointer lights.... Laser is an invisible spectrum and cannot be targeted at aircraft flying at high altitudes”. A press account noted that aircraft are at “over 1,000 feet while coming in to land.” The article also said that planes overseas are often targeted using “green LED lights” but this has not been reported in India.

From the
Times of India

Note from LaserPointerSafety.com: The spokesperson does not seem well informed. Lasers can emit visible light; red and green are the most common colors for pointers and handheld lasers. Further, light from a pointer or handheld laser can be visible to pilots at many thousands or even tens of thousands of feet. LED lights have a much broader beam and thus far, there have been no reports of an LED flashlight or device being used to interfere with pilot vision while airborne.

UPDATE, June 26 2011: Two supervisors of a construction site were detained for questioning. Police found that employees used pointers “as a communication tool at the site. The laser beams are pointed at colleagues to call them over instead of using phones or walkie-talkies.” The lasers cost about Rs 500. A local planetarium and the Indian Institution of Technology were cleared, since officials told police they had not used lasers at night. From the Times of India