LASER STRIKES ON AIRCRAFT CONTINUE TO DROP BUT ARE STILL TOO HIGH

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration issued the following press release:

WASHINGTON -- For the third year in a row, reported laser strikes in the National Airspace System are down. Pilots reported 4,470 laser strikes to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2026 - a 24 percent decrease from this time last year.

The FAA conducts outreach and training with local, state, and federal law enforcement to combat laser strikes. The outreach has resulted in a significant decrease in laser strikes which reached an all-time high of 13,304 in 2023.

From January through July 2026, pilots reported the most laser strikes in these states:

The FAA is also reminding the public abou...