Laser Attack on Graz Airport Training Flight

A two‑engine private training aircraft from Wiener Neustadt was approaching Graz Airport on Thursday night when a green laser beam struck the cockpit at roughly 500 metres altitude. The three‑person crew – a 47‑year‑old flight instructor and two student pilots – were briefly blinded but retained control of the aircraft.

The pilots completed the scheduled touch‑and‑go maneuver and continued the flight southward without injury. The crew reported the incident to Austro Control, which filed a police report. Authorities are investigating a possible violation of aviation‑safety laws that carries a potential sentence of up to ten years imprisonment. A police search in the Graz city centre has so far failed to identify the laser operator.