# Aviation safety threats from laser beam incidents

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/aviation-safety-threats-from-laser-beam-incidents
> Updated: 2026-08-11T20:59:08.000Z. Sources: 2. Developments: 2.

A series of incidents involving laser beams directed at aircraft has emerged in different regions, posing significant risks to aviation safety.

In Austria, a private training aircraft approaching Graz Airport was struck by a green laser beam at an altitude of approximately 500 metres. The three-person crew experienced brief blindness but maintained control of the aircraft. Authorities have launched a police investigation into the violation of aviation-safety laws.

Similarly, air traffic controllers at Adem Jashari International Airport in Prishtina, Kosovo, have reported an increase in laser beam incidents during takeoff and landing. These threats have affected both commercial aircraft and KFOR helicopters. While some suspects have been identified near landing sites, authorities note that the perpetrators may be youths unaware of the severity of their actions. In Kosovo, such incidents carry potential prison sentences of one to ten years.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-11: Prishtina Airport controllers warn of laser threats to aircraft

Air traffic controllers in Prishtina warn of rising laser beam incidents targeting aircraft and KFOR helicopters, posing severe flight safety risks and carrying potential prison sentences.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/prishtina-airport-controllers-warn-of-laser-threats-to-aircraft

### 2026-07-19: Laser Attack on Graz Airport Training Flight

A training plane approaching Graz Airport was blinded by a green laser at about 500 m altitude; pilots kept control, completed the maneuver and continued south. No injuries; police are probing a possible safety

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/laser-attack-on-graz-airport-training-flight

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Cite as: Aviation safety threats from laser beam incidents. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/aviation-safety-threats-from-laser-beam-incidents