Five pilots were harassed by lasers while landing at Brussels Airport on Friday night, air traffic controller Skeyes confirmed to the Flemish newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws.
"They all had a laser pointed at their faces between 20:45 and 02:45," Skeyes told HLN. The pilots reported that the lasers came from Dilbeek (Flemish Brabant). Local police were alerted by the airport police and sent out a patrol, but weren't able to catch the perpetrators.
While there are frequent reports of lasers being pointed at planes near Brussels Airport, five reports in a single night are unusually high.
Shining lasers at aircraft can blind or disorientate pilots during landing, and it is therefore illegal in Belgium. While it is often difficult to catch perpetrators, it carries fines and potentially prison sentences.
"Without the exact location, it's a hopeless task. It's like looking for a needle in a haystack," police commissioner Koen Luppens told HLN.
A new route for planes to approach Brussels Airport has led to protests in Dilbeek in recent weeks, with a group of locals suing the Belgian government. However, Luppens denied any evidence of a link between the protests and the lasers on Friday.
