“They say that if a pilot is blinded by that laser, they lose eyesight for a few seconds. [It would be unfortunate if] it happens at the critical stage of flight. It’s at the time when they have full control of the flight, either during take-off or landing ... If they are blinded by a laser and miss one step, how many people’s lives are in danger? So it is quite critical.”
Gwebu said police have also roped in community policing forums (CPFs) who know the people who are using lasers in their respective areas. “Unfortunately, we haven’t had a very high success rate in terms of capturing these people,” she said.
Those who get arrested usually get handed lenient sentences by the courts, she said.
“Courts are not familiar with laws surrounding lasers. You would find people walking away with a R200 or R1,000 fine. It is not helping us as the aviation community. It means these people can continue with these acts and still get away with it.”
Gwebu said Sacaa hasd approached the National Prosecuting Authority for help with training prosecutors about laws around lasers and aviation to achieve successful prosecutions that might come with heavier sentences.
She said it was a “huge concern” for the Airline Pilots’ Association (Alpa) as it was its members who were being targeted.
Sacaa is also taking campaigns to schools to teach children about being mindful when using lasers. Children are sometimes not mindful that the lasers could blind someone, she said.
“With the help of the CSIR [Council for Scientific and Industrial Research], we've compiled an educational package for school-age children to know the dangers that lasers pose.”
TimesLIVE
Lasers threaten safety of flights, Civil Aviation Authority warns
Image: Sacaa
The South African Civil Aviation Authority (Sacaa) says the use of lasers around airport precincts remains a concern.
Speaking to TimesLIVE on the sidelines of a security event at Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport on Wednesday, Sacaa executive for corporate services Phindiwe Gwebu said lasers are currently concentrated in certain areas in South Africa.
“It’s not in all airports where we see them being prominent. We have seen a rise in incidents of lasers being used to blind pilots at the OR Tambo International and Lanseria airports in Gauteng and a few cases at the Cape Town International Airport,” Gwebu said.
Sacaa has partnered with the South African Police Service to ensure there are sufficient patrols.
Gwebu said the challenges with lasers are that people use them in their homes and not in public spaces, and the reach they can achieve which make it “very difficult for us to monitor appropriately”.
“So we then approached the national commissioner [of] police to ensure that there is enough [police] visibility around the airport precinct areas where you can monitor the use of lasers because they are quite dangerous.
Catching a plane? Then keep your jokes to yourself or you could spend the holidays in jail
“They say that if a pilot is blinded by that laser, they lose eyesight for a few seconds. [It would be unfortunate if] it happens at the critical stage of flight. It’s at the time when they have full control of the flight, either during take-off or landing ... If they are blinded by a laser and miss one step, how many people’s lives are in danger? So it is quite critical.”
Gwebu said police have also roped in community policing forums (CPFs) who know the people who are using lasers in their respective areas. “Unfortunately, we haven’t had a very high success rate in terms of capturing these people,” she said.
Those who get arrested usually get handed lenient sentences by the courts, she said.
“Courts are not familiar with laws surrounding lasers. You would find people walking away with a R200 or R1,000 fine. It is not helping us as the aviation community. It means these people can continue with these acts and still get away with it.”
Gwebu said Sacaa hasd approached the National Prosecuting Authority for help with training prosecutors about laws around lasers and aviation to achieve successful prosecutions that might come with heavier sentences.
She said it was a “huge concern” for the Airline Pilots’ Association (Alpa) as it was its members who were being targeted.
Sacaa is also taking campaigns to schools to teach children about being mindful when using lasers. Children are sometimes not mindful that the lasers could blind someone, she said.
“With the help of the CSIR [Council for Scientific and Industrial Research], we've compiled an educational package for school-age children to know the dangers that lasers pose.”
TimesLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Related articles
Latest Videos