Juan Santamaría Airport laser incidents rise 72% in a year

The International Airport Juan Santamaría recorded 74 laser‑pointer incidents against aircraft in the past 12 months, a 72% increase from the previous year’s 43 cases and the highest level since records began in 2016. The spikes occurred mainly in December, January and February, with most events between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m., especially 7 p.m.–9 p.m.

Authorities warned that laser beams can cause glare, temporary flash blindness and distraction for pilots during take‑off or landing, and one incident forced a captain to hand control to the first officer. Airport operator AERIS manager Álvaro Arguedas and air‑navigation union leader Ronald Vega urged the public to stop pointing lasers at aircraft, noting that Costa Rican law imposes fines of up to 20 minimum wages and prison terms of two to six years for endangering air safety.