Virgin Atlantic jet turns back to London's Heathrow airport after laser attack on pilots

Virgin Atlantic Airways aborted a flight to Israel after a laser beam was shone at the plane's cockpit from the ground as it departed London Heathrow airport. The Boeing 787 wide-body jet bound for Tel Aviv turned around over Paris following the incident on Monday night, the British carrier said. Flight VS453 landed back at Heathrow at about 10.45pm, and passengers were offered overnight accommodation before continuing their journeys on Tuesday. "This was a precautionary step taken by the operating crew," a Virgin Atlantic spokeswoman said. "We swiftly notified the police and remain in close contact with them and the Civil Aviation Authority." Laser pointers emerged as a safety hazard more than a decade ago, with the devices being flashed at planes near airports around the world.<br/>