PHOENIX — Laser lights have been shined at aircrafts more than 300 times in Arizona so far in 2025, officials said.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Grand Canyon state was included in its outreach for its Laser Enforcement Month. In the outreach, Law Enforcement Assistance Program (LEAP) agents provided training and partnered with local, state and federal law enforcement to combat the laser strikes.
Arizona was fourth on the list for states the saw the most amount of laser strikes with 311 strikes.
The state with the highest number of laser strikes was California with 697.
Last year, pilots reported 12,840 laser strikes to the FAA and 550 of those were in Arizona. That number was down 3% from 2023.
What are the consequences for laser lights shined at aircrafts?
Shining a laser at an aircraft is not only a safety threat but a federal crime.
People who are determined to have shined a laser at a plane can face fines from the FAA of up to $11,000 per violation and up to $30,800 for multiple violations.
In 2021, the FAA issued $120,000 in fines for laser strikes on planes.
In addition to FAA fines, there can also be federal, state and local penalties for committing the act.
The federal penalty for a laser strike can be up to five years in prison or a $250,000 fine.
The FAA noted that air traffic controllers do their best to quickly pass on any pilot-reported laser strikes to the appropriate law enforcement agency so that they may investigate.
The aviation encouraged anyone who sees a laser strike on a plane to report it to the FAA or their local law enforcement agency.
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