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| Pope's plane reported laser light incident on approach to Mexico City | Pope's plane reported laser light incident on approach to Mexico City |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A laser light was shone near the pope’s plane as it approached Mexico City last Friday, another example of what pilot unions have called an alarming increase in potentially dangerous incidents. | A laser light was shone near the pope’s plane as it approached Mexico City last Friday, another example of what pilot unions have called an alarming increase in potentially dangerous incidents. |
| Related: Lasers targeting planes: what we know about the growing problem | Related: Lasers targeting planes: what we know about the growing problem |
| Alitalia, which Pope Francis usually uses for his papal trips, said in a statement that the crew of flight AZ400 had noticed a “laser light from the ground” as it approached its destination in Mexico. The captain, Massimiliano Marselli, promptly reported the incident to the control tower, which then reported the incident to local authorities. | Alitalia, which Pope Francis usually uses for his papal trips, said in a statement that the crew of flight AZ400 had noticed a “laser light from the ground” as it approached its destination in Mexico. The captain, Massimiliano Marselli, promptly reported the incident to the control tower, which then reported the incident to local authorities. |
| The presence of the laser light was also witnessed by other aircraft and it is unclear whether the pope’s plane was specifically targeted. | The presence of the laser light was also witnessed by other aircraft and it is unclear whether the pope’s plane was specifically targeted. |
| The top pilots’ union in the UK has warned that such lasers – which are far more powerful than those used in boardroom presentations and can easily be purchased online – can temporarily blind a pilot and create unnecessary risks to crew and passengers. | |
| The pope’s plane, an Airbus A330-200, was also carrying other Vatican officials who travel with the pope and dozens of journalists from all over the world. | The pope’s plane, an Airbus A330-200, was also carrying other Vatican officials who travel with the pope and dozens of journalists from all over the world. |
| Alitalia said none of its crew or passengers were injured by the beam of light and the aircraft, which had stopped in Havana earlier in the day for a historic meeting between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill, landed without incident. | Alitalia said none of its crew or passengers were injured by the beam of light and the aircraft, which had stopped in Havana earlier in the day for a historic meeting between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill, landed without incident. |
| Pilots are sounding an alarm over the growing threat. Earlier this week, the British pilots’ union asked for more to be done about the problem after a New York-bound Virgin Atlantic flight was forced to return to London as a precaution following a laser incident over the west coast of Ireland. The UK passed a law in 2010 that barred people from shining a light into an aircraft that could “dazzle or distract” the pilot. | |
| The US Federal Aviation Administration has also noted a sharp increase in laser attacks. In 2005, 283 such incidents were recorded by US authorities, a figure that has risen to 7,153 in 2015. |