Police seize 'laser lights' installed on shops, restaurants near Peshawar airport

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) police teams have taken action following the complaint of airport administration and seized laser lights installed on shops and restaurants near the Bacha Khan International Airport which was causing distraction to the manoeuvrability of pilots and affecting flight operations, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The administration of Bacha Khan International Airport had registered a complaint with concerned authorities to take strict action against the responsible persons involved in projecting laser lights on aircraft.

While taking the action, police seized laser lights installed on the shops and four persons were arrested, said Superintendent Police (SP) Cantt.

Read: Action sought to stop projection of laser lights on aircraft at Peshawar airport

It emerged on July 13 that the airport manager of Bacha Khan International Airport had complained about the various incidents regarding the projection of laser lights towards incoming and departing aircraft. The manager had said in its letter that at least seven incidents were reported from January to June this year which frightened the cockpit crew, especially of the foreign carrier.

It also read that the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) rules 1994 prohibit illumination of any such light which can be mistaken for an aeronautical ground. It added that the pilots of many airlines raised complaints about the disturbance caused by subject technologies which affected the flight operations and distracted the manoeuvrability of pilots.

It had been requested by the concerned authorities to take remedial actions along with preventive and precautionary measures to avoid such occurrences in order to ensure the protection of aircraft.