UK: Pilots' union calls for laser pointers to be classed as offensive weapons

The body that represents airline pilots in the UK has called for handheld laser pointers to be classed as offensive weapons, after a Virgin Atlantic flight to the US was forced to return to Heathrow when its co-pilot was dazzled by a laser during take-off. Balpa said aircraft were being “attacked” by the devices “at an alarming rate and with lasers with ever-increasing strength”. It said the problem was becoming “more and more urgent”. Britain has strict safety standards for the handheld devices, usually sold as commercial pointers or novelty items. But experts are concerned at the ease with which much more powerful devices can be obtained online, usually from the Far East, and at the frequency of attacks on aircraft in flight. <br/>