A Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong was landing at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport at 9:10 p.m. on Sunday. As the pilot lowered the plane to prepare for landing, a blinding light from laser beam interrupted his vision. He immediately called the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) and informed them about this interruption.
A senior ATC official said it is a serious matter as this isn't the first time a pilot has complained about laser lights (a common feature in weddings and big functions) from ground interrupting their view, something that could lead to a major tragedy as such lights, when they hit the eyes directly, could cause temporary blindness.
The airport has already raised this issue with the Ministry of Civil Aviation but nothing has happened on this front.
"The laser light was probably coming from a distance of 7 kilometer from the IGI airport and the pilot felt it was intentionally targeting the flight. The pilot also told the ATC that the flight is about to land," a senior ATC official told Mail Today.
The ATC helped the pilot land the plane successfully and, meanwhile, called the Delhi Police control room, informing them about the distraction. The police were also told the laser light were a risk to aviation safety.
03/02/15 Ankur Sharma/Mail Today/India Today
A senior ATC official said it is a serious matter as this isn't the first time a pilot has complained about laser lights (a common feature in weddings and big functions) from ground interrupting their view, something that could lead to a major tragedy as such lights, when they hit the eyes directly, could cause temporary blindness.
The airport has already raised this issue with the Ministry of Civil Aviation but nothing has happened on this front.
"The laser light was probably coming from a distance of 7 kilometer from the IGI airport and the pilot felt it was intentionally targeting the flight. The pilot also told the ATC that the flight is about to land," a senior ATC official told Mail Today.
The ATC helped the pilot land the plane successfully and, meanwhile, called the Delhi Police control room, informing them about the distraction. The police were also told the laser light were a risk to aviation safety.
03/02/15 Ankur Sharma/Mail Today/India Today
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